Different master plan
by A-Karana
Summary: What if Emily's condition to give Lorelai the money for Chilton would have been a different one? What if Lorelai has to get married to the man her mother wants? And what will Luke say to that and how is he involved in all of this? Read and find out.
1. Hell is frozen

**So, new story. The idea was in my head for a while now and last night when I couldn't sleep I started writing... I hope you like it!**

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Chapter 1: Hell is frozen**

Lorelai sat on the runner of her jeep and thought about her situation. If she would enter through this gate and ring the doorbell, the independence she had always been so proud of would be gone.  
Everything she had done on her own, everything she had told Rory, and everything would be worthless, if she would run back to them and beg for help.  
She had done everything for Rory, everything for her little daughter, which she never wanted to grow up like her. No expensive dresses, forced pictures and gala- dinners while you're sick. She had left because of her, only a little bit for herself, and now she was coming back for Rory, somehow that was ironic.

"And isn't it ironic...dontcha think. It's like rain on your wedding day, It's a free ride when you've already paid, It's the good advice that you just didn't take, Who would've thought...it figures", she sang quietly and took another sip of her coffee.

She never liked the huge grey building in front of her and she took another glance and shuddered. She really didn't want to enter, but she couldn't think of another solution.

Rory had been accepted to Chilton. Her smart girl should have the best education. Lorelai was sure that Rory would come very far in her life. She was a brainiac, always reading, always seeking for new information and so smart that sometimes it scared her how she could raise such a child.

Sighing she stood up, brushed her hands over her jeans, not sure how clean the runner was, and took another deep breath.  
She held onto the coffee-cup in her hand like it was her life-line, her connection to sanity and the key to escape and walked slowly through the open gate, up the driveway and to the front-door.  
Her mother's cars stood in the drive-way, so maybe her father couldn't prevent another huge fight by his pure presence, and that made her even more nervous.

She had seen them the last time on Easter, for dinner and had been happy when she could leave and escape the accusations, which flew towards her, wrapped up in politeness and so subtle it made her sick just to think about it.

She looked up the mansion and could see the window of her old bedroom. She hadn't been in there for years, the last time the day she had fled and now she was crawling back to her parents.  
For a second she wanted to turn around and walk away, but then she saw her daughters face in her mind and rang the doorbell, so she couldn't back out anymore.

While she waited she calculated the seconds in her head she would have until she had to face her mother. A maid would open, she would have to explain herself and convince her to let her in. Then she would have to wait in the living-room until her mother would make an appearance, which would take another two or three minutes. So if she was lucky she had still five minutes until she had to face Emily Gilmore.

The door opened and all the calculation flew out the window, because Emily Gilmore opened the door herself and Lorelai was sure that now the hell must have frozen the very second.

She forced herself to smile, convincing herself that she could just be as manipulating as her parents.

"Hi, Mom", she said as casual as possible and wondered if she really could have seen something like joy in her mother's eyes.

"Lorelai, my goodness, this is a surprise. Is it Easter already?" Emily replied and the honest surprise in her mother's words made Lorelai nervous. Who was she trying to fool? She never stopped by randomly. Never.

"No, I just, uh, finished up my business class and I thought I would stop by", she blurted out the first excuse that came to her mind. _Dad where are you?_ She thought.

"To see me?" Emily asked, still not inviting her in the house.

"Yes", Lorelai nodded. _Not a complete lie._

"Well, isn't that nice. Come in", her mother said and by the tone of her voice Lorelai already knew, that her mother knew she was lying.

"Thanks", she said and followed her mother into the living-room, dumping the coffee-cup into a trash-bin by the door. Her last thing to hold on to was gone now.

"The place looks great", she complimented, trying to get more time somehow.

"It hasn't changed", Emily cut her short, she wanted to know what Lorelai wanted.

"Well, there you go. How are the girls at the bridge club?", Lorelai asked, feeling like her life-time was running out. She could hear the ticking in her head.

"Old", Tick-tock, tick-tock.

"Well...good", she nodded and followed her mothers lead and sat down on the sofa.

"You said you were taking a business class?" Emily asked curiously while Lorelai started to fiddle with her fingers.

"Yeah, mmhmm, yeah. I'm taking a business class at the college twice a week. I'm sure I told you", Lorelai gave her as much information as she was willing to.

"Well, if you're sure then you must have", her mother replied and that was already the point where they were out of things to talk about. Both stared straight ahead, wracking their brains what to say, although Lorelai's mind was clouded by plain fear.

"Would you like some tea?" Emily asked after nearly a minute of awkward silence.

"I would love some coffee", Lorelai replied and was relieved that the awkwardness would stop for at least the minutes Emily would leave the room.

"Emily? I'm home", her father's voice suddenly echoes through the house and Lorelai nearly laughed in relieve.

"We're in here", her mother replied and seconds later her father appeared.

"Hi, Dad", Lorelai waved at him.

"What is it, Christmas already?" Richard replied with a confused expression.

"Lorelai was taking a business class at the college today and decided to drop in to see us", Emily informed him, but even Lorelai could hear that her words held more information than it seemed.

"What business class?"

"Well, she told us about it, dear, remember?" her mother said, again with that edge in her voice.

"No", Richard replied honestly.

"Well, actually, I came here for a reason. Dad, would you mind sitting down for a minute?" Lorelai said and took all courage and strength she had in her.

"You need money" her father stated and got himself a drink.

"I have a situation" she started.

"You need money", he stated again and grinned.

"Dad, will you just please let me get this out, okay? Um, Rory has been accepted to Chilton", she decided to start with the good news.

"Chilton? Oh, that's a wonderful school. It's only five minutes from here", Emily said happily.

"That's right, it is. She can start as early as Monday. Um, the problem is that they want me to put down an enrollment fee plus the first semester's tuition, and I have to do that immediately or she loses her spot", Lorelai came to the point and waited for the whole building to crumble and fall on her head.

"So, you need money", her father shrugged, a proud expression on his face that he had guessed right.

"Yeah. But it's not for me, it's for Rory. And I fully intend to pay you back every cent. I don't ask for favors, you know that", she told her parents, trying to hold at least a bit of dignity.

"Oh, yes, we know", Emily huffed.

"I'll get the checkbook", her father ignored her mothers comment and was about to leave the room.

"Thank you. You have no idea. Thank you", Lorelai said relieved and would have hugged him, if it wouldn't have been her father.

"On one condition", Emily stopped them both.

"So close", Lorelai muttered and prepared herself for whatever would come.

"Since we are now financially involved in your life, I want to be actively involved in your life", her mother started.

"What does that mean, Mother?" Lorelai asked and the aggression in her voice was not as subtle as she thought.

"I want you to marry", her mother enlightened her.

"What?" Lorelai said and felt like she had been punched. _She can't be serious!_

"Friday night you will get married. We have found a nice young man for you and I'm sure you two will be happy together."

"Mom... " was all Lorelai got out.

"You already know him and I have it on good authority that you two like each other. Actually there are rumours about the two of you for a while now. I knew his mother, she was one of my dearest friends before she died and I promised her to keep an eye on him. Because he is as stubborn as his father, a man the poor girl married, who was in no way acceptable, it was a difficult thing, but somehow we managed. Years ago we helped the boy with money and he said he would do everything to pay us back. I guess the time has come now. We will buy you two a house in that strange town of yours where you can live and you have to get married this Friday. As long as Rory attends Chilton you have to stay married and visit us at least once a month, so we can be sure you are still together. That's it. That's the condition. If you agree, you'll come to dinner Friday night and leave here with a check. Otherwise, I'm sorry, we can't help you" Emily told her the master-plan.  
Lorelai was so shocked, she couldn't reply at first. This was not the seventeenth century anymore. They couldn't marry her off to a stranger. But then again her mother said she already knew him…

"Who is it? And please don't say Chris, or I leave and never come back, Chilton or no Chilton", Lorelai said.

"You will find out soon enough. I will call him later and tell him to contact you. Oh and don't forget to tell Rory, she wouldn't want to miss your wedding", Emily smiled, she knew she had won.

"I don't want her to know that I borrowed money from you. Can that just be between us?" Lorelai sighed.

"Does seven o'clock work for you?" Emily referred to the wedding on Friday.

"Perfect", Lorelai said with a forced smile. She still couldn't believe this. She would get married of. The girl who lived on her own since she was seventeen. Hell was definitely frozen now.

TBC


	2. The only option?

**I have to say I am speechless... so many reviews for that first chapter... I sometimes didn't even have as much for a whole story!**

**I seriously hope you're gonna keep that up, now that you have spoiled me ;)**

**Before you go and read the chapter I wanted to say a few general things:**

**First, I will not make Emily the devil in this story, no matter how it appeared in this first chapter, because I am honestly convinced, that she always wants what's best for her daughter, in her own weird way.**

**Secondly, I can tell you that it will (hopefully) all make sense within a few chapters and that maybe not everything is as easy as it seems, this chapter will give you a first taste of that. It's a crazy idea, a crazy story, I hope you'll stay with me for the time it lasts.**

**And the last thing: I don't have a beta for that story, because I don't want to bother my beta with another story, I give her enough work as it is. So sorry for the faults, I'm doing my best.

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****Chapter 2: The only option?**

While Lorelai was driving back to Stars Hollow she couldn't really concentrate on the traffic, and for a moment the thought crossed her mind that she maybe should take a taxi, but then another thought entered her brain, overshadowed the rest of sanity she had and she couldn't even remember anymore that she had thought about calling a taxi.

She would get married on Friday. She, Lorelai Gilmore, would get married on Friday and she didn't even know her future- husband yet.

She was too confused and distracted by that mere fact to understand the whole absurdity of the situation itself. The only thing she could think about was the fact that she would get married. It didn't even cross her mind how preposterous it was that she didn't know the name of her fiancé, that there was no actual fiancé, no ring on her finger, no proposal, not even a first date.

On auto-pilot she reached her home, but remained in the jeep. She turned off the engine and stared at her house, which soon wouldn't be her house anymore, because her parents would by them a new one.

She wasn't even sad or angry, all she was, was confused.

She took her cell-phone out of her bag and called Sookie.

"Hey Sookie, it's me. Can you come over right now? I have to get married on Friday, otherwise I won't get any money from my parents", she said and hung up.

When the light turned on in Rory's room, she got out of the jeep, dragged herself up the porch- steps and then plopped down on the swing.

She didn't realize when Sookie's car drove up to her house or when Sookie walked up to her. She didn't even realize her friend was there until Sookie waved a hand in front of Lorelai's eyes.

"What do I do? What do I do? What do I do?" Lorelai asked her, without explaining anything further than she had done on the phone.

"You can have anything I own. My car! Sell my car", Sookie replied instantly, knowing that she needed to calm Lorelai before she could get something out of her which would actually make sense.

"Oh, sweetie, no one wants your car", Lorelai smiled slightly and took a deep breath.

"Yeah", Sookie agreed. "But tell me what happened. Whom should you get married to? Someone you know or a stranger? And where does that idea come from? Did it just pop into your parents heads today or did they have it for longer? And why do you have to marry on Friday? Why not Saturday or Sunday? Will there be a lot of guests? I need to know for the menu and the cake. Do you want a white cake? Or only white frosting and chocolate cake? And…", Sookie started her questioning.

"Woah Sookie, I can't even think clear without your questions, but I really can't deal with the flood of information you want from me. My mother said something about the son of an old friend, who owes them, because they helped him. And that I know him and that there are rumours about us and that he'll contact me. What do I do, Sookie?" Lorelai asked again and sounded desperate.

"You know they can't force you to marry someone, those are not the medieval-times anymore. You should marry someone you love and who loves you back and not because your parents force you to because you need money"

"I don't even need the money for myself, I need it for Rory. It's for Rory's future, for their precious, angelic grand-daughter. How can they pull something like that? It's not even for me…"Lorelai trailed of, anger started rising in her chest.

"Maybe that's why", Sookie shrugged.

"Huh?" Lorelai said confused, not able to follow her friend, in the blind rage she was now in.

"They know you would do everything for Rory. If the money would be for yourself you wouldn't even consider marrying a stranger", Sookie made her point clear.

"True. But Sookie the thought that I should get married to a stranger is… it's… I can't even… it's not possible. Not even for Rory", Lorelai said, got off the swing and started to pace.

"Then we need to think of something else".

"There's something I haven't thought of, I know there is. There's something out there staring me right in the face. I just. . .I haven't seen it", Lorelai said desperately.

"You know, you might consider really marrying …"

"No", Lorelai shook her head.

"But I don't think you have a …"

"Stop!" Lorelai said forcefully.

"You can at least meet him and…" Sookie tried again.

"Uh" Lorelai waved her hand.

"Okay, can I say one more thing? I think it's your only option", Sookie stated the bare facts.

"Sookie, there are several chapters from a Stephen King novel I'd re-enact before I'd resort to that option. I know I was so shocked, I told them I would do it, but I just can't", Lorelai said defeated and sat back down on the swing.

"Okay, dropped. Dropped", Sookie agreed and sat down next to Lorelai, the same defeated and sad look on her face.

"Thank you, I just have to think of something else", Lorelai said quietly and stared off into space.

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Meanwhile Richard and Emily Gilmore were sitting in their living-room. Emily was reading a book, while Richard studied the newspaper, but he was distracted. Since Lorelai had left, Emily had avoided talking with him, but he needed to know what had gotten into her.

He wasn't completely surprised by her actions, she had talked about that connection more than once, but he had never thought that one day it would become reality.

"Do you really think Lorelai will let herself be forced into a marriage?" he asked, and lowered the newspaper to look at her.

"She needs the money for Rory and she has no other options, otherwise she wouldn't have come here", Emily shrugged and smiled a bit.

"But Emily, a forced marriage?" Richard asked his wife and raised his eyebrows.

"Since we were little kids, Amber and I had the dream that one day our children would get married or be best friends. When she married that hobo and had her boy, I thought I could never give my child to such a man. But after his father's death we got to know him better and he is a fine young man, must be the McGregor blood. The business he has is questionable, but he inherited his grandmother's money when she died and as far as we know he hasn't used it yet. We have it on good authority that he has a thing for Lorelai since he met her for the first time and he owes us. He's a man Lorelai would go for and if it would only be because she thinks we wouldn't approve. I am sure once she knows who he is she will agree to marry him. Rory would finally have a father figure, one not as weak and phlegmatic as Christopher and we wouldn't have to worry about Lorelai anymore. She would be married, would be cared for and she wouldn't be alone anymore. I think it's a good thing for all of us", Emily said and turned her attention back to her book.

Richard gave a sceptical look, remained silent and went back to his newspaper.

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Lorelai and Sookie were still sitting on the swing, starring blankly ahead in silence when Rory came out in her Chilton-skirt.

"Mom? So what do you think?" she asked and turned around one time.

"Wow, it makes you look smart!" Sookie said enthusiastically.

"Okay, no more wine for you. Mom?" Rory wanted to know.

"You look like you were swallowed by a kilt", Lorelai joked, hiding her worries from her daughter.

"Fine, you can hem it. A little", Rory smiled.

"Ooh", Lorelai tried to sound excited.

"Only a little", Rory reminded her.

"Okay. Or I could hem it a lot"

"No, you're not. I don't want it to be too short", her daughter disagreed and together they walked inside the house, followed closely by Sookie, who wandered off into the kitchen though.

"I can't believe tomorrow's my last day at Stars Hollow High", Rory said happily, while Lorelai was searching for needles.

"I know", she nodded.

"Today I was so excited I dressed for gym", her daughter confessed.

"You're kidding!" Lorelai exclaimed.

"And I played volleyball", another confession.

"With other people?"

"And I learned that all this time I was avoiding group sports" Rory started, waiting for a reaction from her mother, who seemed somehow distracted.

"Yeah?" Lorelai said, so Rory would finish her sentence.

"Was very smart because I suck at them". Rory smiled and stopped fidgeting, because Lorelai had found the needles and started to pin up the skirt.

"Well, yeah, you got that from me", she said.

"Where's your paté?", Sookie suddenly asked out of the blue, when she came back from the kitchen into the living-room.

"At Zsa Zsa Gabor's house" Lorelai dead-panned.

"Right. I'm going to the store because you have nothing. You feel like duck?" Sookie wanted to know

"Ooh, if it's made with chicken, absolutely", Lorelai joked and her problem had slipped her mind for a second.

"I'll be back", Sookie excused herself, grabbed her things and walked to the door.

"Bye", Lorelai yelled after her, but her friend was already out the door.

"All right. This will give you an idea. Go see how you like it", she turned her attention back to her daughter, when she was done with the pinning up. Rory whirled round and started to run off to her room, but stopped in the doorway of the living-room and turned around again to face her mother.

"Okay. I love being a private school girl", she squealed happily and then continued her way to her room, running and skipping.

Lorelai looked after her daughter and her problem hit her again like a ton of bricks. Her smile transformed into a sad version of one and she put the rest of the needles down on the desk.

With a deep sigh she turned around, facing the mantle and the pictures on it. Baby-pictures of Rory, pictures from her first Halloween, a picture of the two of them in the Inn, one when they had moved into the Crap Shack and finally a picture of Lorelai when she had been a child. Dressed in a black coat, with a black cap, the huge, grey mansion behind her, the gate closed and an unhappy expression on her face.

She didn't want to get married to a stranger, she didn't want to give her mother what she wanted. She didn't want to be unhappy in a marriage she had no say in, but could she be happy knowing that Rory couldn't go to Chilton because of her, and that she would ruin her daughter's future?

She needed to talk to guy and tell him she wouldn't marry him, but before she needed to find another way to get the money.

**TBC**


	3. The Flood

**So, thank you for all the reviews again, it makes me write faster.**

**For that chapter I used a lot of the original dialogue, but changed it a bit and used it like I needed it. I hope you'll like it and I promise the next chapter will have more of "my own" dialogue!**

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Chapter 3: The Flood**

The next day after school Rory decided that she would take a first load of books from her locker with her. Lorelai hadn't told her anything about her problems or the absurd condition of her mother. Rory was sure she would go to Chilton a week from now.  
Sure, it was a bit early to clear her locker, but she was so excited she had to start with something.

The next day after school Rory decided that she would take a first load of books from her locker with her. Lorelai hadn't told her anything about her problems or the absurd condition of her mother. Rory was sure she would go to Chilton a week from now.Sure, it was a bit early to clear her locker, but she was so excited she had to start with something. 

When she had pulled the first ten books out, she discovered that it really had been a good idea to start them because she couldn't have guessed how many stuff a locker was able to hold.

The books were heavy and when she kicked her locker shut, she dropped the books. Sighing she crouched down to pick up the books when suddenly a guy was standing next to her, nearly giving her a heart-attack.

"God! You're like Ruth Gordon just standing there with a tennis root. Make a noise", she exclaimed and put a hand on her wildly beating heart.

"Rosemary's Baby", the guy grinned.

"Yeah", Rory nodded, confused that for once someone could keep up with her references, other than her mother or Lane.

"Well, that's a great movie. You've got good taste", the guy complimented and Rory didn't know what to say. An awkward silence followed. "Are you moving?" he broke it.

"No, just my books are", Rory said and felt stupid.

"My family just moved here from Chicago", he explained and went to pick up the rest of her books which were still lying on the floor, because she simply couldn't think or move anymore.

"Windy. Oprah", she stuttered the first things which came to her mind.

"Yeah. Yeah, that's the place. I'm Dean", he smiled and handed her the books after she finally got up.

"Hi", she smiled goofily and stared at him. "Oh, Rory. Me. That's -- that's me" she continued when the first bit of blood returned to her brain- and her cheeks.

"Rory", he repeated.

"Well, Lorelai technically", she hurried to explain.

"Lorelai. I like that", he smiled that brilliant smile of his again and Rory started to ramble.

"It's my mother's name, too. She named me after herself. She was lying in the hospital thinking about how men name boys after themselves all the time, you know, so why couldn't women? She says her feminism just kind of took over. Though personally I think a lot of Demerol also went into that decision. I never talk this much", she finished a bit out of breath.

"Well, I better go", he suddenly said.

"Oh, sure" Rory shrugged, although everything inside of her screamed NO!

"I have to go look for a job", he explained.

"Okay, good" she shrugged again and snapped out of her daze when he started to leave.

"You should check with Miss Patty", she called after him.

"What?" he asked and walked back over to her.

"About the job. You should check with Miss Patty. She teaches dance. She was actually on Broadway once", she told him.

"I. . .I don't really dance much", he chuckled confused.

"No, no, she just kind of knows everything that's going on in town. She'll know if someone's looking", she explained and together they walked out of the school building.

"Oh, great. Uh, thanks. Hey, what are you doing now?" he asked and Rory's heart started to beat a bit faster.

"Nothing...much. I should throw this away at some point", she said and motioned to some notes that lay on top of her books.

"Well, maybe you could show me where this Miss Patty's place is", he asked.

"Yeah, I guess so. I really don't have anything important to. . .let's go", Rory agreed and was surprised when he took the books out of her hands and carried them, while they walked to Miss Patty and chatted.

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It was early in the evening when Emily decided to call her future son- in-law and tell him bout his marriage. Richard was still working and she thought that it was time now that Lorelai would get to know who she had to marry. 

"Hello, this is Emily Gilmore. Yes, Thank you, we are fine. How is business? That's very nice to hear. Oh, yes, that's true. Listen there is a reason why I am calling you after all this time. What? No, nobody died", Emily said and started to doodle on the paper in front of her. It was an old habit she couldn't get rid off and every time she talked to someone on the phone, she had to burn the papers afterwards, so nobody would see her stupid doodles.

"Actually it's kind of a business thing I am calling you about. Do you remember your mother's letter? No, not the one with the hearts all over it, but the one she wrote shortly before her death. Yes? So you remember that one paragraph about my daughter? Lola? Well that was the nickname your mother gave her, but actually her name was Lorelai…hello you're still there?" she asked and a content smile appeared on her face.

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A few minutes before Lorelai and Rory had entered Luke's diner, which was empty by now and sat down quietly on a table. Lorelai was still debating how she could get the money without marrying a stranger, while Rory was deep in thought about Dean. Both had made a decision: Lorelai knew that Rory had to go to Chilton, no matter what and Rory had decided that Stars Hollow High wasn't that bad anymore. 

"So, you were late getting home tonight", Lorelai tried to start a conversation.

"Yeah, I went to the library", Rory lied. She couldn't remember ling to her mother- ever. That was a first.

"Oh. Oh, I forgot to tell you, we're having dinner with your grandparents Friday night", Lorelai told her, hoping that it would never even come that far. Because then the dinner would be no dinner, but her own wedding.

"We are?" Rory asked surprised.

"Mmhmm", Lorelai made, sending silent prayer to every god she knew, that she would find another way.

"But it's September", Rory said.

"So?"

"So what holiday's in September?"

"Look, it's not a holiday thing. It's just dinner, okay?" Lorelai snapped.

"Fine, sorry", Rory muttered when Luke reached the table with their plates.

"Red meat can kill you. Enjoy", he told them sarcastically and then went back behind the counter, because the telephone rang.

"So, I finished hemming your skirt today", Lorelai said, but Rory remained silent.

"Did somebody die?" they heard Luke ask.

"A grunt of acknowledgment might be nice", Lorelai added.

"I don't understand why we're going to dinner on Friday night. I mean, what if I had plans? You didn't even ask me" Rory changed the topic.

"Well, if you had plans I would have known", Lorelai shrugged and ate some fried from her plate.

"How?"

"Well, you would have told me", Lorelai shrugged, not in the mood for any arguments.

"I don't tell you everything. I have my own things", Rory spit out.

"Fine, you have things", Lorelai shrugged again, annoyed by her daughters behavior

"That's right. I have things."

"Hey, I had dibs on being the bitch tonight", Lorelai snapped.

"Just tonight?" Rory shot back.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Lorelai asked stunned.

"I'm not sure I want to go to Chilton", Rory admitted.

"What?" Lorelai was sure the Flood would come right through the diner door now.

"The timing is just really bad", Rory muttered.

"The timing is bad?"

"And the bus ride to and from Hartford, it's like thirty minutes each way", Rory tried to be at least a bit rational.

"I can't believe what I'm hearing" Lorelai said, once a loss for words.

"Her name is..? Jeez!" they heard Luke yell in the background, but were too occupied with their own fight to pay attention.

"Plus, I don't think we should be spending that money right now. I mean, I know Chilton's got to be costing you a lot", Rory brought out the next argument.

"Oh, you have no idea" Lorelai replied.

"All of your money should be going toward buying an inn with Sookie".

"What about college? What about Harvard?" Lorelai asked her daughter.

"We don't know that I can't get into Harvard if I stay where I am", Rory replied.

"Okay, enough. Enough of the crazy talk, okay? I appreciate your concern but I have this covered", Lorelai lied, fed up with this discussion.

"I still don't want to go" Rory said louder.

"Why?"

"Because I don't" Rory yelled and stood up.

"Okay, fine. We always had a democracy in this house. We never did anything unless we both agreed. But now I guess I'm going to have to play the mom card. You are going to Chilton whether you want to or not. Monday morning, you will be there, end of story", Lorelai yelled back and stood up as well.

"No! No way! This is crazy" Luke yelled into the phone, while the two Gilmore Girls stared at each over the table.

"I have to get out of here", Rory said suddenly, turned around and left the diner as fast as she could. For some seconds Lorelai looked after her daughter, not believing what had just happened.

Then she let herself fall into the chair and pushed her plate away from her. She was deep in thought and didn't hear Luke slamming the phone to the cradle or marching up to her. She was startled when he suddenly stood beside her, looking down on her, his face red with anger, a defeated look on his face.

"We are getting married on Friday.I won't wear a tux", he said, pointed his index- finger to her face, nearly touching her nose and then he marched back behind the counter and up the stairs and a second later his apartment-door slammed shut.

Lorelai sat on her chair, feeling like she had been hit by a truck. This was the end, she was sure now. The Flood was near, it must sweep her away any second now, she could already feel the spume on her skin.

**TBC**


	4. The Ark

**So, fast update again, huh? I just hope the writing isn't getting crappy because of that (if it wasn't before). To be honest I am still not convinced about this story. So feel free to tell me if it sucks!**

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**Chapter 4: The Ark**

She was drowning, she was wet and she knew this was the end. Through the masses of water which surrounded her she heard Luke's words in a daze, couldn't register them, could barely understand them.  
When they reached her ear they sounded strange and blurred.  
She sat on the chair in the diner and was sure that she was drowning. She was gasping for air and started to look around the room in panic.  
Then, after endless hours, at least that's what those few minutes were to her, she took a deep breath and came back into reality.

Slowly her surroundings became clear again in front of her eyes. She could see the diner in all it's pale green color and the yellow glow of the lamps.  
_This place really needs a spruce_, she thought while she was looking around, her eyes drifting to the corners of the diner.  
Suddenly her eyes popped open when she heard a sound upstairs and the things Luke said came back to her. "We are getting married on Friday. I won't wear a tux". That sentence was so typically Luke, at least the second one. The first sentence, though… married on Friday. Why did he want to get married on Friday? Why did everyone suddenly wanted to marry her or marry her off? Were they all nuts?

Married on Friday…. And then it really hit her.

She jumped out of her chair, took only three steps to reach the curtain, passed it and then hurried up the stairs.  
She didn' bother knocking, she just snatched the door open, walked in and slammed it shut behind her.

Like a person possessed she looked around the room and found him standing on the opposite side of the room in front of the window, his hands were gripping the window- sill so tight that his knuckles turned white and Lorelai could see that he was visibly shaking .

"It's you?" Lorelai yelled at him and grabbed his arm to turn him around. She wasn't interested that he was obviously upset. All her anger and despondency was directed against Luke now, who was standing there facing her and for the first time seemed small.

"You are the guy I am forced to get married to? What have you, some kind of sick deal with my parents to get me? You never even asked me out on a date and now we have to get married? What kind of sick pervert are you? And where the hell do you know my parents from? Ooooh, now I get it! It wasn't our idea, but you let them pay you for that. How much did they give you? Or will you get the money after the licence is signed? How could you?" she screamed, her face red with anger and tears appeared in her eyes.

"This is for Rory Luke, for Rory! How could you use the future of my kid?" her voice was hoarse now and furiously she wiped the tears away.

"I don't want to marry you! Actually I don't know how I will stand you twenty- four seven. Your annoying babbling, the constant smell of coffee and stupid references all the time, which no-one ever gets! Your ugly pink purses and the inappropriate clothing, along with a purring, mewing or squeaking alarm clock. Oh and don't forget the sexy clogged sinks because you never pull your hair out " Luke yelled back. He was hurt that she was thinking he would trick her in such a mean way.

But then he saw the tears in her eyes and on her cheeks and took a deep breath.

"I'm sorry. I guess I am just as shocked as you are", he apologized and sat down on his couch. He leaned back and lay his head back against the couch and rubbed with his hands over his face, closed his eyes for some seconds.

"Look, I think we are both still too shocked about this whole thing. Why don't we calm down, meet tomorrow evening and then discuss what we are going to do and how we can get out of this without any consequences for Rory?" he asked then and turned around to face her; she was still standing in the same place.

"Okay", Lorelai just nodded and walked to the apartment-door without looking at him. She opened the door and made a step over the thresh-hold when she stopped.

"I'm sorry Luke" she said quietly and didn't wait for his reply before she closed the door. 

* * *

The next morning when Lorelai entered the Inn Michel gave her a disapproving, nearly hostile glance.

"I was instructed to tell you that Sookie is waiting for you in the kitchen. And that work is waiting for you- that was my own addition", he snorted and walked away.

"Tell me when Rory gets here", she called after him, shook her head and walked into the kitchen where she surely would find her friend.

"Hey, Sookie, what did you want to talk…" she started, but couldn't get farther before Sookie embraced her in a bear-hug. "Oh my!" she exclaimed.

"I'm so happy!" Sookie squealed and bounced up and down, still hugging Lorelai.

"I'm so glad you're so happy! Is this is a normal happy or was there cooking sherry involved?" Lorelai replied and succeeded to get out of the hug.

"It is so wonderful. Do you know how wonderful it is?" Sookie said, still in that squeaking tone that made Lorelai's ears ring.

"No, no, I don't, but I would love to weigh in", she said and felt how her own mood lightened when she saw her friend so happy.

"You're getting married to Luke", Sookie smiled and clapped her hands excitedly.

"Ah, how did you know?" Lorelai asked stunned and her good mood was gone again.

"I was out of onions last night and wanted to make stew. Dosey's was already closed, so I thought I could stop by at Luke's and get an onion from Luke. I would even have paid for it, although it's not from France. You know French onions have that certain spice which other onions don't have. It's a mixture of lemon and..."

"Sookie!" Lorelai called her back into reality. Sookie stopped and looked at her friend.

"Where was I?", she asked then.

"You needed an onion and wanted to get it from Luke" Lorelai told her.

"Right. So I went over to Luke's and he was walking up to you and told you that you would get married on Friday and that he wouldn't wear a tux. That is so great!" Sookie said and started bouncing again.

"Well, Sookie, I", Lorelai started to explain.

"I am so glad! You two are perfect for each other. I have always thought that someday, if you just sort of turned around and opened your eyes that you'd see it, and now that you have, I'm just so damn happy", Sookie smiled brightly.

"Sookie…" Lorelai tried to say something.

"You're not gonna die alone. I mean, somebody will be there. Somebody will know. Somebody will find the body and call the police and…" Sookie went on, but this time Lorelai really stopped her.

"Sookie, we won't get married", Lorelai told her then.

"Why?"

"Because obviously he is the man my parents want me to marry. I don't know yet what they did and where they know each other from, but we won't get married". Lorelai shook her head.

"I don't see the problem", Sookie shrugged.

"Huh?"

"If you marry Luke everything could stay the same. He is your friend and he has a thing for you. He is there whenever you need him and he repairs your house when it needs fixing. He feeds you and gives you coffee. And I bet he is good in the sack as well" Sookie grinned devily.

"Sookie!"

"What? I'm just stating the facts. I just don't get it. You were upset because you should marry a stranger. Now it turns out it's Luke and that's a good thing. Besides, I don't think that Luke has anything to do with that plan".

"I know. I mean, I yelled at him and accused him, but I didn't mean it" Lorelai admitted and had a bad conscience about that.

"But he knows right?" Sookie asked.

"He knows. I think he knows. He should know. I hope he knows", Lorelai said.

"Well make sure he knows, okay? Because you two together could really find a good solution", Sookie said and then went back to her sauce and left Lorelai alone with her thoughts, but then suddenly started to squeak again.

"Sookie, please, I am begging you, pull yourself together, okay? I got no sleep last night and I think I put my contacts in backwards", Lorelai said and started to rub her temples.

"Rory's still mad at you, huh?" Sookie changed the topic, aware that the wedding-topic was done for now.

"Hey, I'm not so crazy about her either", Lorelai replied.

"It was a fight. Mothers and daughters fight," Sookie tried to calm her.

"No, we don't fight. We never fight", Lorelai shook her head when Michel entered the kitchen.

"You told me to tell you when your daughter arrived. Well, she's here and she's sitting in my chair", he said. Lorelai gave Sookie a defeated wave and walked out to the lobby.

"Hey, no muumuu today. You know what's weird, I kind of miss it", she said.

"You left me a note to meet you here", Rory replied aggressively.

"Yeah, I thought you might want to work a couple hours, make a little extra cash"

"Fine", she shrugged.

"Aw, you're not gonna give me the "Mommy Dearest" treatment forever, are ya?" Lorelai tried it again.

"You wanted me here, I'm here. Should I do something or what?" Rory grumbled. Lorelai's shoulders slumped and she wasn't able to keep her composure anymore. This whole thing was getting unbearable. Rory noticed the change in her mothers demeanor and got worried. She sensed that something was really worrying her, which had to be bigger than their fight.

"Mom?" She asked worried

"I'm okay. I just. . .do I look shorter? 'Cause I feel shorter", Lorelai smiled slightly, soothed by her daughter's worry for her.

"Hey, how 'bout I get you a cup of coffee?" Rory asked her and slung her arm around her mother's waist to lead her to the kitchen. They both needed some cheering up.

Lorelai was only too happy to got back into the kitchen again and get some coffee. The room where Sookie was suddenly seemed like the Ark, which had saved her from the flood. At least until she had to face Luke again.

**TBC**


	5. The godmother

**Another quick update, but don't get used to it! ;) For the onewho wants me tp update even faster: I think one chapter per day is already a bit over the top, but how many should I write? Ten? No way!**

**I read through your reviews (again, I couldn't believe how many there are, thank you so much!) and I decided that I reduce the thing with the original- dialogues. I will keep it, don't get me wrong, but not to that extend anymore. You will still find at least one dialogue per chapter. I hope that's okay.**

**Thank you again for all those reviews

* * *

****Chapter 5: The god-mother**

While Lorelai made her rounds through the Independence Inn, she was getting more and more nervous.

She was relieved that her fight with Rory wasn't settled but it seemed to be eclipsed, at least for the time being. She still hadn't figures out what had caused Rory to act the way she had acted and she still couldn't believe that Rory suddenly didn't want to go to Chilton anymore. The girl who had lived for learning and for school since she had been born now didn't want to enter one of the best schools in the country, although she had a space and could start immediately.

That was so un-Rory-like that she, Lorelai Gilmore, wasn't sure how to react or what to say.

She had reacted by pulling the mom-card, like she had called it, but that didn't make her feel any better. She never really had forced Rory to do anything, other than combing her hair, when she had been three and decided that combing hurt too much.

She was repelled by her own action to react with restraint to her daughter's behaviour, but at the moment everything was just too much.

Her parents were forcing her to get married on Friday and just thinking about it made her chest tighten painfully.

She had thought about this all day and had come to the conclusion that maybe Sookie had a point. It wasn't a bad thing that it was Luke. He was her friend, she liked him and he liked her. He was forced into this just like she was and they could talk about it and find a solution. But on top of it all he really cared for Rory.

That knowledge gave her a warm and fuzzy feeling and whenever the thought came to surface, she knew she didn't have to worry as much anymore. They would find a way, together, and no matter what way it would be, he would still be Luke afterwards and that made every option bearable.

Sookie was right, a stranger or someone like Chris would have been worse and would have set the stage for disaster.

When she finally left the inn at eight that evening she had been pondering her mother's condition all day, but still couldn't offer Luke a way out of the situation. Maybe he had been more successful, if he had thought about it at all.

But then again, it was Luke, Mr. Fix-it; he just had to know a way to fix this, to fix her.

She was broken somehow since she had had that disastrous talk with her parents. She had secluded with her dream of a romantic proposal, of a husband who loved her and whom she loved. And her pride had been shattered because of all of this. She had to admit to herself that she couldn't do it on her own. She had sworn to herself that night she had fled out of her parent's house with her daughter that she wouldn't come back, that she wouldn't need them and that she would be fine all alone. That had been an illusion and it hurt to admit it. She wasn't super-woman and beside all her efforts and her hard-work, she still needed them to pay for her kid's school.

She arrived at the diner a few minutes after she had left the inn and was surprised when the sign at the door was already flipped to "close". For a second she had the urge to turn around and walk away, but she knew that wouldn't help and so she tried the door and discovered it was unlocked.

"Hello?" she called when she stepped in and didn't see Luke.

"Hi", Luke said when he came out of the kitchen, a towel in his hands with which he dried his hands.

"Closed already?" she asked him, trying to make some small talk before they had to get down to business.

"Yeah, I wasn't sure when you would come, so I decided to close early", he shrugged and turned to the coffee- pot to pour her a cup of coffee.

"The advantage of owning the business, huh?" she smiled and sat down on "her" stool at the counter and took the blue cup, which was filled to the rim with coffee, from him.

"Yeah well", he shrugged and started to wipe the counter, a habit he had when he was nervous or uncomfortable.

"So…" Lorelai said after a moment of silence.

"So… maybe we should go upstairs? You know to, uhm, talk", he replied and motioned upstairs with his hand.

"Okay", Lorelai shrugged and stood up from her stool, grabbed her cup and followed him upstairs.

She looked at his backside while he was walking up the stairs in front of her; she couldn't help herself noticing that he had a nice behind. She shook her head and lectured herself on the inside that this wasn't the time to check the diner-owner out.

"You wanna… uhm…sit?" Luke asked uncomfortably when they stood in the apartment and they both sat down at the kitchen table. Lorelai played with the coffee cup in front of her and Luke followed the cup with his eyes.

Then suddenly she stopped herself and took a deep breath before she said. "Luke I'm sorry for the things I said yesterday. I want you to know that I didn't mean any of them. I was just so shocked that it's you my parents want me to marry. I mean... not that it's you, but… uhm... you that it…" she stumbled over her words and looked up for the first time and met Luke's eyes. She could see that he didn't get what she was trying to tell him.

She took another deep breath and then clarified, "I mean, actually I'm relieved that it's you and not some stranger, because that really would have been sick, but I'm shocked that you know my parents. Why didn't you ever say anything? I mean you know my last name and obviously you know my parents. So?"

"I don't know, really I just… I don't know. I guess somehow it never crossed my mind. I never made the connection between those Gilmore's in Hartford and you. I mean I've known them all my life somehow and I knew they had a daughter. My mother always said her name was Lola, but now I know that was just a nickname she gave you. I thought Lola had graduated from some expensive college, then joined her mother in the DAR and married some rich snob. It never crossed my mind that you could be their daughter", he admitted.

"Thank you, I guess", Lorelai chuckled and took a sip of her coffee.

"You knew my mother?" Luke asked then.

"Honestly, I don't know. I can't remember anybody calling me Lola", she replied.

"Maybe you were too young when she died to remember her", Luke said and sounded sad.

"How old were you when she died?" she asked.

"Eight", Luke replied and sounded so sad that Lorelai laid her hand on top of his and gave it a squeeze. She was four years younger than Luke, so she had been four by the time his mother had died and wasn't surprised that she couldn't remember his mother.

"How do our mother's know each other? I actually can't imagine Emily Gilmore hanging out here in Stars Hollow", Lorelai smiled and gave his hand another squeeze before she pulled hers away.

"My mother wasn't from Stars Hollow. Her birth-name was McGregor", Luke said and wanted to go on when Lorelai interrupted him.

"As in Devon McGregor?" she asked.

"Yeah, that was my grandfather actually. I think I met him two times in my whole life and I can't say I'm sad about that", Luke shrugged.

"I can imagine. I don't remember him, but his wife was a witch. She was the one who wanted to kick my mother out of the DAR when I got pregnant", Lorelai said.

"That fits. So our mothers were friends at College, room-mates. But then my mother met my father, got pregnant and dropped out".

"Oh my", Lorelai flinched, already knowing how the story would continue.

"Her parents kicked her out and cut her off and she married my father. She was happy here, I guess, she had always been the black sheep of the family and here everybody was friendly to her at least. The only contact that remained with her former life was your mother. As far as I know the two kept in contact, although your mother didn't approve of my father. She even is my god-mother", Luke explained and Lorelai started coughing because she had choked on her coffee.

"She's what?" Lorelai exclaimed when she got her voice back.

"My god-mother. But after my mom died my father broke off the contact with your parents and I never heard anything of them anymore until he died. A few weeks after his death your mother showed up here and asked me how I was, what I was doing, what I wanted to do. I told her that I had dropped out of college when my dad got sick and that I wanted to turn the hardware store into a diner, but I didn't have the money to. We had sold the house to pay the hospital bills and all I had left was the store and the office above. She offered to pay for it, but I didn't want her to. She was a stranger.

"You can't refuse her anything", Lorelai smiled knowingly.

"No, you can't. Finally we made the deal that she would pay for it and I would pay her back as fast as I could", Luke said.

"You never did?" Lorelai asked surprised.

"I wanted to. I don't know how often I drove to Hartford with a check, but they always sent me back home, telling me that the time would come when I could return the favour. So yesterday she called me and told me that the time had come and I could finally pay her back, but not with money. She asked me if I remembered my mother's letter, which I do", Luke said and stood up. He started to pace in front of the table.

"What does it say?"

"It's a letter from my mother to your mother, which Emily gave us back after mom died. Basically it says that they had always planned that their kids would get married someday, but that my mom knew that Emily and Richard couldn't let you marry me, because of where I come from. But that she hoped that one day we would meet at least and if she had say in it she would still want us to marry, because that would just be great when the daughter of her best friend would marry her son. I guess that she hoped that we would fall in love with each other if we would ever meet", Luke said and Lorelai stopped breathing for a few seconds.

"Which we didn't", Luke said quietly, knowing that he was lying to her.

"No, which we didn't", Lorelai repeated and suddenly felt sad.

"Emily said that I had to marry you, that this would be the pay-back. She also said that she wouldn't accept a no and that I should keep the fact in mind that this was for Rory's future", he finished his explanation.

"This is so sick. She uses Rory to marry us off", Lorelai said and the sadness was replaced by anger.

"Yeah it is. But what are we gonna do?" Luke shrugged and sat back down on the chair.

"I have no idea. The only thing I know is that Rory needs to go to Chilton and I need my parent's to pay for it. So unless you know where I can get 70.000 dollars available until Monday and then another ten-thousand in a few weeks, I have no other option", Lorelai shrugged defeated.

"I wish I could give you the money, but my financial investments will be paid off in two years and the rest I had to invest in new furniture for Liz's new apartment a few weeks ago", he said.

"Liz?" Lorelai asked confused, wondering if he had a girlfriend she knew nothing about.

"My sister", he explained.

"Mmh, didn't know you have a sister", she said surprised.

"Yeah, well… I have… Liz", Luke shrugged uncomfortably. He had told her enough about his family now.

"So, back to the original problem: What are we gonna do?" Luke said then.

"Get married I guess. I'm so sorry Luke that my mother dragged you into this. You shouldn't have to do this so that my kid can go to another school. I'm.. I'm so sorry", Lorelai babbled.

"It's okay, don't worry. But Friday is just.. Very soon. I mean, we can't get used to the thought, we have to tell Rory and the town, have to invite relatives and friends and so on and so on", Luke said.

"Right. But maybe the town and Rory don't have to know. I mean it's not like anything would change. You'll live here over the diner, I'll live at my house, and we'll meet when I get coffee or when the Crap Shack needs fixing. Nothing would change", Lorelai slightly panicked by the thought of telling her friends and her daughter.

"You want to lie to Rory and Sookie?" Luke asked.

"No, I don't, but I just… I can… I will…. I need time to process it", she stuttered. Luke looked at her for a long moment and then sighed.

"You know what? I guess we should drive to Hartford and talk to your parents. Maybe we can get them to agree to give us more time at least", he suggested then.

"I don't think we can bargain with my mother, but it's worth a try".

"Okay", he nodded and Lorelai got up.

"Hey Luke?" she asked while she slung her purse over her shoulder.

"Yeah?"

"I'm glad that it's you", she admitted shyly.

"I think I'm really relived you feel that way", he nodded.

"So you concur?" she asked with a smile.

"Dear god yes", he laughed and got up from his chair to escort her to the door.

"Good. So, then, I guess we'll discuss this with my mother later?" she asked.

"Tomorrow?" he asked.

"I'll call my mother first thing in the morning and make an appointment with them", she said.

"Okay, tell me when you know something", he shrugged.

"Thanks Luke", she said again and gave him a kiss on the cheek without thinking about it.

"You're welcome"; he said, blushed and watched her walk into the dark corridor and down the stairs, before he closed the door.

**TBC**


	6. Gimme Hope Jo'ana

**I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry... Have I mentioned that I'm sorry?Universit has started again and I have to catch up. The JJ- Fanfiction project is also taking a lot more time than I thought.. Yeah, well... so next chapter**

**And thanks to Sarah for betaing, otherwise this chapter would have been unreadable!

* * *

**

**Chapter 6: Gimme hope, Jo'anna**

When she had informed her mother that they would pay them a visit Emily had insisted that Rory would join them as well. Lorelai was aware that that wasn't a good idea, concerning what they had to talk about, but she was too nervous to say no to that. Another fight, especially because they wanted something, wouldn't have been good.

She had been desperately looking for an excuse why Luke had to come with them, but in the end she had decided that she was already lying enough to her daughter as it was and had told her at least as much as she had to know: That Luke's mother had been an old friend of Emily, that they only found out recently and that Emily insisted to see him again. It wasn't a complete lie, but neither was it the complete truth.

* * *

Lorelai felt sick to her stomach when they were all standing in front of the Gilmore mansion and she and Luke both had the same nervous look on their faces while they stared at the door, neither making a move to ring the bell.

"So, do we go in or do we just stand here?" Rory grinned, wondering what was wrong with them. She knew her mother had problems with her grand-parents, but Luke seemed to be an old friend and she was surprised when he dreaded to enter as well.

When they both just kept staring at the door without responding, Rory stepped forward and rang the bell.

"Fine", she shrugged and saw her mother and Luke exchanging a look, which she couldn't place. When the door opened and her grandmother herself stood there both Luke and Lorelai jumped a bit, acting like they were facing the devil himself.

"Hi, Grandma", Rory broke the silence once again and went to greet her grandmother

"Well, you're right on time", Emily said and shook Luke's hand before she greeted Lorelai and took their coats.

"Yeah, yeah, Luke kept complaining that we would be late and that we should hurry up", Lorelai shrugged.

"I can't tell you what a treat it is to have you all here. Like a family", Emily gushed and led them into the living-room, causing Luke and Lorelai to exchange another look.

"Oh, well, we're excited, too", Lorelai shrugged and sat down next to Luke.

"Is that a collector's cup or can I throw it away for you?" Emily asked then and pointed to the take-out cup in Lorelai's hand.

"Jeez, you still have that. You gulped down the coffee hours ago", grumbled Luke and took the cup out of her hand and got up to throw it in the nearby wastebasket.

"In the kitchen, please Luke", Emily told him and pointed in the general direction of the kitchen and then turned to Rory. "So, I want to hear all about Chilton".

"Well, I haven't actually started yet", Rory shrugged and was glad when Luke came back, accompanied by Richard.

"Richard, look who's here", Emily smiled proudly and Luke took his place next to Lorelai again.

"Rory. You're tall", Richard stated.

"I guess."

"Well, what's your height?" he wanted to know

"5'7"", she said.

"That's tall. She's tall", he stated again.

"Hi, Dad", Lorelai waved from the couch to stop the awkward "she's tall" speech, but had no luck.

"Lorelai, your daughter's tall", Richard went on.

"Oh, I know. It's freakish. We're thinking of having her studied at M.I.T.", Lorelai joked, what brought her another "stop it"- glance from Luke.

"Ah", Richard only said and sat down in the armchair and grabbed his paper.

"Champagne, anyone?" Emily asked.

"I hate champagne", Luke muttered only loud enough that Lorelai could hear him.

"Oh, that's fancy", she ignored him.

"Well, it's not every day that I have my girls and Luke here for dinner on a day the banks are open. A toast - to Rory entering Chilton and an exciting new phase in all our lives", Emily toasted after she had handed a glass to everyone.

"Here, here", Richard said absent –mindedly and kept reading.

"This is just wonderful. An education is the most important thing in the world, next to family", Emily said and looked at Luke and Lorelai with a smile that made both of them flinch.

"And pie" Lorelai said without thinking and the only thing that followed was silence.

"I guess that was one of her jokes", Luke informed her parents.

"Ah", Emily only made and another awkward silence followed. When Lorelai couldn't stand it anymore she excused herself.

"Excuse me. I'm just gonna go to the restroom".

"Well, hurry back. Dinner's almost ready", Emily replied.

" Yes, ma'am", she said and gestured at Luke to follow her, which he did when the opportunity rose and dinner was ready.

* * *

"We need to get out of here!" she said when he knocked and pulled him into the bathroom.

"What?", he asked confused.

"How did I used to get out of here?", she asked and tried to open the window.

"What are you talking about?", Luke asked and held her back by her arm when she tried to climb out the small window.

"Stop, that you'll be stuck", he said and closed it.

"I'm not fat!"

"No, but you're not a mouse either. You won't fit through this window anymore", he told her.

"It's nice of you to tell me that. But I had many ways of sneaking out of here. Which drainpipe was it that I used to crawl down?" she thought loudly and Luke just shook his head.

"I think I used to get to it from the attic window, does the attic window still access the drainpipe that drops you off by the garage? Did you pay attention to that when we came here? Men usually pay attention to architecture" She asked him, but he just grabbed her by both arms.

"You are not going to get out of here. Think about Chilton, think about Rory", he reminded her.

"All I can think about are her stupid comments about family. She is forcing us into marriage. If I could I would kill her with my bare hands, but that won't get me any money. Hey, wait.. actually it does. If I kill dad as well I'll get all of their money", she smiled.

"Lorelai", he sighed.

"I know I know. No killing"

"Right, no murders. And now we have to get out of here and go to dinner so we can talk alone with your mother at some point or another", Luke nodded and pushed her out of the bathroom and into the dinning room.

* * *

The first few minutes of the dinner passed in complete silence and suddenly Lorelai started to sing, but so silent that only Luke, who was sitting beside her, could hear it.

"Gimme hope, Jo'anna Hope, Jo'anna Gimme hope, Jo'anna 'Fore the morning come. Gimme hope, Jo'anna Hope, Jo'anna Hope before the morning come"

"Stop it!" he hissed and was glad when Emily turned to Rory.

"Rory, how do you like the lamb?", she asked her granddaughter.

"It's good", Rory said.

"Too dry?" Emily turned to Luke

"No, it's perfect, Emily"

"Potatoes could use a little salt, though", Lorelai said, again trying to be funny.

"Excuse me?" Emily asked and glared at her daughter.

"Another joke, Emily. She's a funny one", Luke said and rolled his eyes.

"Good. It's nice to know that at least one person can tell when she is joking", Emily remarked dryly.

"So, Grandpa, how's the insurance biz?" Rory tried to ease the tension and Lorelai started to sing again.

"I hear she make all the golden money, To buy new weapons, any shape of guns. While every mother in black Soweto fears The killing of another son Sneakin' across all the neighbours' borders Now and again having little fun She doesn't care if the fun and games she play Is dang'rous to ev'ryone."

"Oh, people die, we pay. People crash cars, we pay. People lose a foot, we pay", Richard said, unaware of his daughter's singing.

"Well, at least you have your new slogan", Lorelai muttered and stopped her tune.

"Ow!" she hissed a second later, because Luke had pinched her under the table.

"Lorelai?" Emily raised her eyebrows questioningly.

"Sorry, food's hot", Lorelai lied and swatted Luke's knee.

"And how are things at the motel?" her father asked her.

"The Inn? They're great" she smiled.

"Lorelai's the executive manager now", Luke informed them and sounded proud.

"Oh, that's wonderful", Emily replied in a pleasant tone.

"Speaking of which, how is the diner going?" Richard asked.

"The diner is good. People always eat", Luke replied and shrugged.

"Yeah, I remember you said that back when you turned your father's store into the diner", Emily replied.

"Yeah well.. it's true", Luke shrugged again.

"Luke I have to tell you though, that I am still disappointed you didn't go to college like we told you. You could be successful in business now"

"He owns a successful business, mom", Lorelai jumped in.

"He owns a diner", Emily said and raised her eyebrows.

"And what's wrong with that?" Lorelai asked as she raised her voice.

There's no need to yell at me. I just stated the facts".

"Yeah, sure. You could have easily exchanged the word diner for brothel, it would have been the same tone in your voice", Lorelai barked.

"Ah Jeez. Lorelai it's no big deal", Luke said and lay a hand on her knee to calm her down. It wouldn't help their case if she lost her temper in front of Rory. But he had underestimated how upset Lorelai still was about that whole deal. All the time the only thing she could think of was how her parents would force them into this marriage.

"I'm gonna get a Coke. Or a knife", she said, stood up and threw her napkin on the table. Then she stormed out of the room and into the kitchen, followed closely by Luke, who had excused himself and ran after her.

"Lorelai…"he said when he reached her where she stood in front of the sink scrubbing a pan aggressively.

"No, don't Lorelai me. This is disgusting. You don't wanna marry me and I don't…. They force us into this and they use Rory to make sure we can't escape. And then we should sit out there, make small-talk and act like the perfect family while they keep insulting you? What kind of parents marry their daughter off to a man they despise? How much can you hate your own kid?" she said loudly and Luke saw that her eyes were beginning to build up with water.

"Hey.." he just wanted to sooth her when Emily burst through the kitchen door.

"You two, come back to the table", she ordered.

"Is this what it's gonna be like once a month? We come over and play happy family while you force us into something so.. urgh!"

"You're being very dramatic" Emily snorted

"Dramatic? Were you in that room last Monday? You're forcing us into marriage!", Lorelai said and yelled the last word.

"Yes, I was, and I think you took what we said the wrong way"

"The wrong way? How could I have taken it the wrong way? What was open to interpretation?" Lorelai yelled

"Keep your voice down"

"No, Mother. I can't take it anymore. All this just seems like a nightmare" she said and looked surprised when Luke handed her a towel.

"You're dripping all over the floor", he shrugged.

"Emily actually we wanted to talk to you about that.. uhm… arrangement", he turned his attention to Emily then and hoped that Lorelai would use the time to cool of.

"What is there to talk about?" she asked him.

"We need more time", he said simply.

"More time? To do what?" Luke took a deep breath to be able to stay calm, while he lay his hand on Lorelai's shoulder to keep her from attacking her mother.

"Look, we both know what the letter says and I'm sure you are just as aware as we are that this is a crazy thing to demand. You did, we accepted to pay our.. dues. But we need more time to arrange a wedding, because I'm sure my mother doesn't want me to marry in a two minute ceremony without guests and without family. If this is going to last as long as Rory is going to Chilton without that we'll get the town crown for the craziest people there, we need time. We have to send out invitations, talk to our friends and neighbors, Lorelai needs a dress, and we need a church.. and so on. We can't do that until the day after tomorrow, there's just no way."

"Well, I must say I'm surprised", Emily said.

"Well, it's what my mother wanted and I want to do it the right way," he played her.

"Okay, I'll give you two time until Rory finished her first semester at Chilton. But then you'll have to be married, otherwise we'll stop paying and you Luke will have to pay us back everything at once".

"Thank you Emily", Luke shrugged and really felt somehow relieved.

"And you will move in together", Emily said then.

"What?" Lorelai exclaimed.

"You two will move in together on Friday. You can stay at yours or Luke's house or we'll buy you a house, but you'll move in together to get used to it. I'm not dumb, Lorelai. I know that you're trying to get out of this"

"That's not true" Lorelai shook her head, Luke's hand on her shoulder still calming her somehow.

"Why do we have to get married? Is that really necessary?" she started again.

"A child needs a mother and a father", Emily just said, tired of the discussion.

"Luke doesn't want to marry me. Ask him mom. He doesn't want to marry me and he doesn't want to play father to Rory" Lorelai tried it again and felt Luke tense beside her.

"That's too bad, because you two will get married. And this discussion is now over. I gave you two more time, that's it!" Emily decided and Lorelai and Luke realized that there really wasn't a way out of this.

"We don't want Rory to know about the deal or where I got the money from", Lorelai spat out.

"Are you too proud to tell her that you're marring a dinner-owner", Emily tried to get a reaction out of her. She wanted Lorelai to stand up for Luke again, to show him how she felt, because these few hours with the two of them in the same room had shown her that the wish Abby and she always had, had already come true, those two were only too stubborn to admit it. The rumors were true.

"Was I too proud to come here and beg for money?" Lorelai shot back instead.

"No, you certainly weren't. But you're too proud to let her know where you got it from, aren't you? Well, fine, you have your precious pride and I have you two married. We all win", Emily said and marched out of the kitchen.

While Luke focused on the floor, Lorelai was breathing hard from yelling at her mother. She thought it would do her good, but she actually felt worse. She had said some things about Luke, that she shouldn't have said.

"I'm sorry", she said meekly.

"It's okay", he shrugged, hiding how he really felt. The comment that he didn't want to play daddy for Rory had hurt him. Then what had he been doing all these years?

"No, Luke really. I know you don't mind. I mean.. I know… you don't want to marry me, but…" she stuttered.

"I get it", he shrugged again and Lorelai knew that he wouldn't discuss this any further.

"You wanna move in with us on Friday? I'll even clear a drawer for you?" she asked him some seconds later and gave him a small smile.

"Okay", he nodded and smiled back before they both left the kitchen, unaware that Rory had heard every word of their fight with Emily in the dinning-room.

They sat back down at the table and Lorelai whispered "She's got supporters in high up places Who turn their heads to the city sun Jo'anna give them the fancy money Oh to tempt anyone who'd come. Gimme hope Jo'ana…" Luke just sighed.

**TBC**


	7. Her sacrifice

**Wow, seems like there are still some people out who are reading this. I will spare you my comment to the series final, cause this is not the place to rant.**

**I hope you keep reading and reviewing**

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**Chapter 7: Her sacrifice**

When the dinner at the Gilmore mansion was finally over Lorelai felt like she was sixteen again. She felt belittled, humiliated and forced into something she didn't want, although she had to admit that marrying Luke didn't seem that scary anymore after they had talked about it. It was more the fact that her mother forced her into marriage that repulsed her so much.

She handed Luke the keys to the jeep when they stepped outside and slipped quietly into the passenger's seat. She really didn't feel like driving now and Luke seemed so much cooler about it all.

He had been the one that had been able to get Emily to cave and that was something she still couldn't wrap her mind around.

She was so occupied with her own thoughts that she didn't even realize that Rory seemed equally quiet and pensive.

The whole drive passed in silence and it was Luke who broke it when he parked the jeep in Lorelai's driveway.

"We're home", he said not really thinking about his words. Lorelai though picked up on it and wondered why it made her feel so warm and fuzzy inside that Luke had said it like this.

Lorelai smiled, got out of the car and held the door open for Rory, who didn't seem to notice.

"Rory?" she asked, but her daughter didn't react.

"Lorelai Leigh Gilmore, your mother's arm is going to fall off any second now from holding the car door open", Lorelai announced and Rory snapped out of her daze and got out of the car. Without waiting for the two adults she walked into the house and slammed the door shut behind her.

"What's wrong with her?" Luke asked as he and Lorelai walked together towards the house

"Why would you think anything's wrong with her? Maybe she just has homework to do," Lorelai shrugged.

"She didn't utter a single word since we came out of the kitchen with your mother", Luke informed her and stopped on the porch.

"Maybe dad said something that upset her. The Gilmores do have that power", Lorelai dismissed it again.

"Your father was asleep when we came back out and by his snoring I would say he fell asleep the second your mother left the room", Luke said with raised eyebrows.

"Maybe Rory told him about all her books or…" Lorelai tried to find an explanation.

"She heard us", Luke told her and crossed his arms in front of his chest.

"She did not!", Lorelai shook her head and refused to believe it.

"She did. And by her behaviour I think she isn't too thrilled about it".

"She didn't hear us, Luke. We were all the way in the kitchen", Lorelai protested and mirrored his position.

They glared at each other for a moment and Luke had just opened his mouth to protest when the front-door flew open and Rory stormed out.

"This is crazy. I've thought about this and you two are not getting married so that I can go to Chilton! I'm not going to Chilton!" she said upset and then marched back into the house and slammed the door shut behind her, leaving a stunned Luke and Lorelai behind.

"I think I should…" Luke said and made a movement with his hand in the general direction of the diner.

"Oh no, you're not leaving bucko!" Lorelai said and grabbed his arm. "You agreed to this and told me we'd work this out, so you're going to help me explain this".

"Isn't this a mother daughter thing?" Luke asked and hoped she'd let him go.

"No, this is a mother- daughter- guy who will move in tomorrow-thing", she replied and pulled him into the house.

They found Rory pacing in the living- room, the phone held up to her ear.

"Hello this is Rory Gilmore, I want to talk to Emily and Richard Gilmore", Rory said. Before either of her grandparents could reply though, Lorelai had snatched the phone out of her hand and hung up.

"Hey!", Rory yelled and turned around to face her mother.

"Bad idea, really bad idea. Why don't you sit down, honey and let us explain", Lorelai said and led Rory by her shoulders to the couch and pushed her down on it.

"You two being forced into marriage is a really bad idea!" Rory shot back.

"Rory, calm down. We have everything under control", Lorelai tried to calm her.

"Well, that's not what you told grandma when you yelled at her" Rory said and a pout started to form on her face. Lorelai turned to Luke and he only raised his eyebrows and shrugged.

"I told you she heard us", he said and Lorelai sighed.

"How much did you hear?", she turned back to Rory.

"Not much. You know, snippets", Rory replied.

"Snippets?"

"Little snippets", Rory said and avoided her mother's eyes.

"So, basically everything?" Lorelai asked.

"Basically yes", came the confirmation from her daughter and Lorelai plopped down on the couch beside her, while Luke was still standing in the room with crossed arms.

"Honey, look. We know that this is strange and every other synonym that relates, but this is the condition your grandparents gave us to give me the money to send you to Chilton and you deserve to go to Chilton because you worked so hard for it. You want to go to Harvard and Chilton is the first step," Lorelai said.

"I can still go to Harvard if I graduate from Stars Hollow High. No one ever said that I couldn't go to Harvard then. Luke, I'm really sorry they dragged you into this and thanks you for saying yes, so I could go to Chilton, but it's really way too much", Rory said.

"Listen.. I have to pay my dues at some point or the other because your grandparents paid for the diner. And honestly I'm relieved that they chose me for this plan because it means we all can keep the routine we have and you won't have to live with one of those snobs who might even hit on your mother, or even worse, on you. It's no big deal Rory. You'll go to Chilton, I'll move in here, which basically means I'll only sleep here… on the couch and the rest will stay the same. Don't worry about it", he told her and Lorelai gave him a grateful smile.

"Thank you Luke", Rory said and got off the couch and gave him a hug.

"I'll be at Lane's", Rory said and was out the door before they could react.

On her way over to Lane Rory started to smile. During Luke's speech a thought had crossed her mind that hadn't been there before. She still didn't want to go to Chilton because of Dean and a forced marriage still was wrong, but Luke and her mother married and living in the same house wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing. Actually it could be a good thing, because it might force them to finally open their eyes and see what was right in front of them and if her sacrifice would be to go to Chilton, then so be it. She couldn't wait to tell Lane.

* * *

"You want a beer?" Lorelai asked when Rory had left.

"Sure", Luke said and followed her into the kitchen.

"Don't you find it weird that she was okay with it from one second to the other?" Lorelai asked and opened the fridge and handed him the beer.

"You're really asking me to explain the weird behaviour of someone whose last name is Gilmore?", he deadpanned.

"Ah", she said and laid her hand on her chest "How dare you say something like that? Watch your words mister!", she said and smiled. They both took a seat at the kitchen table and quietly sipped their beer.

"You shouldn't have to sleep on the couch", Lorelai said.

"Huh?" Luke asked confused and couldn't follow her.

"When you move in here you shouldn't have to sleep on the couch, it's not comfortable", she clarified.

"It's okay", he dismissed it.

"Luke…" she said and glared at him.

"Lorelai", he said and glared back.

"I don't think it would be good for our marriage if you don't sleep well. Not to speak of the sore back you'd have. You would be even grumpier and you might ruin the precious coffee because of your lack of sleep".

"Ah, that's why you're worried", he said and nodded, but smiled.

"Of course", she laughed. "No, but honestly: You'll live here for three years at least and it'll be your home as well so I want you to be comfortable", she said.

"But Lorelai where else can I sleep? If you don't have a secret room in your basement or you want to remodel the whole house there is no other way", he reasoned and Lorelai had to admit that he had a point. She knew that he couldn't sleep on the couch for three years but she didn't have any other ideas. She sucked on her bottom lip while she thought about it.

"Maybe Rory could sleep with me and you could have her bed", she said then, although she knew that wasn't an option either.

"Yeah sure, only my feet would have to sleep somewhere else, because they wouldn't fit in the bed", Luke chuckled and Lorelai laughed as well, then suddenly she slapped her forehead.

"We're so stupid", she exclaimed.

"Why? Found a secret room?" he asked.

"No, but Luke I have a really really comfortable double bed upstairs and…" she started.

"No!", he said immediately.

"…and even your feet would fit into the bed", she went on.

"No" he said again and shook his head.

"I think one side of my bed is even bigger then your teeny tiny single bed".

"No", he said again.

"Why? Are you scared I'll take advantage of you while you're sleeping?" she asked.

"I'm not sleeping in a bed with you".

"Or are you scared that you can't stop yourself and will take advantage of MY sexy body", she teased him.

"Not happening.. .and I'm not sleeping in a bed with you", he insisted.

"But Luke we're both adults here. I don't snore, I hope you don't snore, we don't smell bad and we're not so fat that we wouldn't both fit into the bed. You can even use your manly sheets on your side of the bed and I can keep mine on my side", she said and smiled excited. Teasing Luke like this was really fun and she loved seeing him squirm.

"We'll see. I think I'll take the couch first, but thank you", he said and got up.

"The couch is really uncomfortable", she made sure to emphasise her point.

"Will you wipe that annoying grin off your face when I say yes?" he asked.

"Maybe", she shrugged and smiled wider.

"Ok, I'll sleep in the bed with you. But now I have to go. I have some packing to do", he said and left.

Lorelai stood next to the table and smiled. Luke would be sleeping in the same bed with her and it had been so much fun seeing him squirm. Luke would sleeping in the same bed as her….he's sleeping in a bed with her… in her bed… alone... at night… with Rory all the way down the stairs….two singles in one bed.. for three years… married.

The grin was gone now and her eyes widened in shock while her stomach did flip-flops.

She would be sleeping with Luke… in one bed….she needed to sit down.

**TBC**


	8. The houseelf

**Thank you for all your reviews, I really appreciate it. Since we are not allowed to answer them here (some stories got deleted), we have to that via reply, but somehow that wasn't working, so sorry for not answering. I'll try it again for this chapter and if it's not working I'll have to answer them here in an author's note.**

**The last chapters of the Luke- and- Lorelai- Fanfiction- Project came in last night and I really like them, I think in the end it'll be worth the long wait. I started this thing in March, now we have Mai, I guess we'll be able to post (hopefully) in July, but we'll see.**

**Thanks again to Sarah for betaing this and now I'm out of things to say...

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****Chapter 8: The house-elf**

'Thud', Lorelai bolted up in bed. She was sure that this had been the front-door being kicked open or pushed open. Either way somebody was now in her house, without knocking, at 4.56 in the morning.

She felt the panic rising in her chest and she was torn between the urge to hide under the covers or to grab something heavy and knock out whoever was downstairs. 'And who now was coming upstairs', she thought, when she heard the heavy steps on the stairs. She only hoped he hadn't killed Rory yet. There surely hadn't been enough time to rape her, but to attack her in her sleep that only needed a few seconds.

When the steps came nearer and nearer she jumped out of bed and ran to her dresser. She knew that somewhere in there must be an old badminton-racket and that could be useful now.

She took the racket, and hid behind her door, which opened just a few seconds later. She waited until the intruder made his first steps into the room before she took a deep breath and attacked him with the racket. She hit him on the head with it as hard as she could several times and he yelped in surprise, but not in pain. Whatever he had held in his hands dropped to the floor and he turned around and grabbed her hands, then took the racked from her.

With a furious scream she jumped him and kicked him and slapped him as if her life depended on it, which it did. At least she thought so.

"Jeez, would you stop that", the aggressor suddenly yelled at her and that voice sounded somehow familiar. She knew her murderer. She didn't stop though and the man made his way to the switch and turned on the light.

She was gripping a red flannel with her hands and his baseball-cap was hanging halfway off his head.

"Luke?" she asked in surprise and glided off his back.

"You stupid idiot, what are you doing here in the middle of the night scaring me half to death?" she asked then and slapped him again.

"I was bringing my stuff over", he told her and adjusted his cap.

"At five o' clock in the morning?" she asked him, still upset and out of breath.

"I didn't want the gossip queens see me moving", he explained.

"God, I could have killed you", she sighed and took a deep breath.

"With that thing? The only thing that would have happened is that the net would have ripped. Maybe you should keep a baseball bat up here and not an old badminton-racket. I think a real murderer would have laughed so hard that he would have stopped his attack", he told her and pointed to the racket on the floor.

"Well, that was my plan actually", she told him and crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"What are you doing?" came suddenly Rory's sleepy voice and then she walked in, her eyes barely open.

"Luke's moving in", Lorelai said.

"At 5 am?" Rory asked.

"I didn't want Babette or Patty to see me moving", he explained again.

"Why is our old badminton-racket lying on the floor?" Rory questioned further.

"Your mother thought I was a burglar and wanted to knock me out with it".

"This is too much information to take in at this time. I'm going to bed, but I want the full story later", Rory yawned and trudged back down the stairs and into her room.

"Good idea. I'm going back to bed also", Lorelai said and sat down on her bed.

"Well it would go faster if you'd help me carry the stuff in, because I have to open the diner in half an hour", he said and kicked the first box he had brought in further into the room.

"At five am? I think maybe I hit you right on the head that you would actually think I would help you move in at five AM!", she emphasised.

"Lorelai, come on", Luke sighed.

"No way", she shot back and lay down on her bed and put the comforter over her.

"But if we move my stuff in at another time the gossip queens will know it in no time", he complained.

"They'll know it either way, so you better get used to the thought that they'll be bugging you for the next week".

"Next month", he groaned.

"Next six months of hearing about it, but then it'll die down", she said and closed her eyes.

"Good night Luke", she muttered.

"Good night", he sighed and left the house defeated.

* * *

The next day after lunch Lorelai and Rory walked through town to shop for some groceries and on their way home they passed Miss Patty's.

"Hello dolls", Miss Patty greeted them and blew out some smoke from her cigarette while she leaned against the open door of her dance-studio.

"Hi Patty", they greeted her back and moved to walk past her, but no such luck.

"Well, well, Lorelai you naughty girl, what am I hearing? Luke moved in with you? When is the due date?" she asked.

"Huh? What due date?" Lorelai asked back.

"The due date when the little tot will come out and conquer the world", Patty smiled and pointed to Lorelai's stomach.

"I'm not pregnant Patty", Lorelai told her and rolled her eyes.

"Oh well I thought that's why Luke's moving in, to help with the baby", Patty said and sounded disappointed.

"Sorry, Patty, but all that's in here are a burger and fries along with lots of coffee and that's it", Lorelai clarified.

"Ah, it's a shame. But maybe when you two lovebirds live together it'll happen. I'm sure the frequency of the act will play a role as well", she winked at Lorelai.

"Patty could you please not comment on my love-life while my daughter is standing next to me", Lorelai said and decided that it would be pointless to tell Patty that she and Luke weren't even a couple, but two friends forced to live together and to get married eventually.

"Ah speaking of Rory and love-life", Patty said and turned to Rory, what caused Lorelai to look confused. "I think I found a job for your male friend", Patty told Rory.

"What male friend?", Lorelai wanted to know, raising her eyebrows while looking at her daughter.

"They need a stock boy at the supermarket. I already talked to Taylor Doose about him. You just send him around tomorrow", Patty informed Rory.

"Okay, thanks"; Rory nodded. With all the thoughts about Luke moving in and her mother and Luke getting married she had completely forgot to tell her mother about Dean and somehow she didn't want to tell her.

"What male friend?" Lorelai asked again.

"Oh he's very cute. You have good taste", Patty smiled and blew out some more smoke and Rory took the opportunity to hurry down the street, but Lorelai followed her, with the shopping bags still in her hands.

"Oh you're gonna have to walk faster than that. You're gonna have to turn into friggin' Flo Jo to get away from me", she yelled after Rory, who had finally reached the house. Lorelai entered after her and dropped the bags on the floor and then went to Rory's room.

"This was about a boy, of course! I can't believe I didn't see that. All this talk about money. You got a thing going with a guy and you don't want to leave school", Lorelai said.

"I'm going to bed", Rory said.

"God, I'm so dense. That should have been my first though, after all you're me", Lorelai went on.

"I'm not you", Rory protested.

"So who is he?" Lorelai wanted to know.

"There's no guy", Rory lied.

"Dark hair, romantic eyes, looks a little dangerous?"

"This conversation is over, I'm going to bed", Rory said again.

"You can't go to bed. It's two in the afternoon and Luke'll be over at five with his stuff and you have to help carry the boxes", Lorelai said.

"Luke would never let me carry any boxes", Rory told her.

"True..mmh.. but he would let me carry boxes", Lorelai muttered.

"So, he really will be sleeping in your bed? With you in it as well?" Rory asked and hoped that this would distract her mother enough to drop the Dean topic.

"So tell me about the guy", Lorelai said instead of an answer and tried to get away from the Luke-will-be-sleeping-in-my-bed-with-me topic.

"Mom", Rory sighed.

"Is he dreamy?" Lorelai questioned further and sat down on Rory's bed.

"Oh that's so Nick at Night", Rory rolled her eyes.

"Well, I'm gonna find out anyway", Lorelai shrugged.

"Really? How?"

"I'll spy", she said and grinned, happy that the focus was off of her again.

* * *

Luke stopped by shortly after five in the evening and his truck was full of boxes.

"Oh boy, did you buy stuff just to make me carry it in? You could never have stored all of that in your little apartment above the diner", Lorelai sighed when she saw all the boxes.

"That's exactly what I did. I even filled boxes with stones, just for the fun of seeing you carry them in", he replied sarcastically. Together they brought all the stuff into the house and Luke was surprised when he found that Lorelai even had made room for his stuff.

He put his kitchen utensils in the kitchen, packed his books in the shelves and hung up his clothes on his side in her closet.

They were finished after nine and both took a quick shower afterwards before Luke cooked them all dinner and they watched a movie together with Rory.

When Rory went to bed at eleven Luke and Lorelai decided it would be time to face the situation and went up to the bedroom- their bedroom now.

"Uhm.. I'm gonna", Luke said and pointed to the bathroom.

"Yeah sure", Lorelai shrugged and the tension was so thick one could cut it with a knife. Luke took out his sweatpants and a T-shirt and went into the bathroom and closed the door. When the lock clicked Lorelai went into frenzy: She had no idea what would be appropriate for her to wear. She opened her closet and went through all her sleeping clothes: Flimsy nightgowns, silky underwear, tight t-shirts, shorts with stupid prints and thick pullovers for cold winter-nights. She heard Luke brushing his teeth and knew that he would be out soon, so she grabbed the first things that she got into her hands, ripped off her clothes, threw her bra away and put on the clothes she held in her hands.

She had just pulled down the shirt when the door clicked again and Luke stepped out of the bathroom, stopped dead in his tracks when he saw her.

"Why are you wearing that?" he asked confused when he saw her pink power-puff-girls sweatpants and her woollen turtle-neck pullover.

"I won't rape you or attack you, I thought we established that this morning", he grinned and made Lorelai feel even more stupid than she already did.

"I have no more clean pyjamas, all in the laundry", she stuttered, looking for an explanation.

"Then take one of my shirts", he shrugged, opened his side of the closet and took a grey t-shirt out.

"Unbelievable that you have closets full of stuff but not one clean shirt to sleep in. You better do laundry tomorrow, because I won't do your laundry, just so you know", he said and handed her the shirt.

"You won't? So what's the point of you moving in here then? I thought we'd have our personal house-elf now", she said and went into the bathroom, but didn't close the door completely, so she could still hear him.

"House-elf?" he asked and raised his eyebrows, although she couldn't see him.

"Next movie night will be a Harry Potter marathon", she replied while she brushed her teeth. Luke only shook his head and got in on his side of the bed and took the book he had placed on the nightstand earlier.

"Don't you look adorable in between the hello-kitty sheets?" she giggled when she came out of the bathroom. He only groaned, but kept reading.

"What's this?" she asked when she got in on her side of the bed.

"A book", he informed her.

"Oh really? Who would've thought?" she replied and turned the book cover towards her so she could read the title 'The history of baseball' it said.

"Huh, now whenever I have trouble sleeping I'll just borrow this. A few lines and I'm out", she said. When he didn't reply she turned over on her side, with her back towards him, closed her eyes and was asleep within a few minutes.

Luke on his side of the bed tossed and turned after he had switched off the light. The sheets smelled different, the sounds were different, the mattress felt different and the fact that Lorelai was lying a few centimetres away didn't help him either.

He opened his eyes and stifled a groan when he saw that it was already one o'clock in the morning. He turned on his back and stared into the darkness when he felt Lorelai shift on her side. Suddenly he felt her touch his left arm. She lay her head on his upper arm, slung her arms around the rest and sighed in contentment.

He had to smile when he saw her hugging his arm like a teddy bear and watched her for a few minutes before his eyes also drifted shut.

**TBC**


	9. Angel

**Chapter 9: Angel**

„Lorelai? Lorelai!", Luke said and tapped her shoulder to wake her up.

"Mmmh…. Let me sleep", she muttered and buried her face in his shoulder. She was still hugging his arm, which had gone completely numb during the night and she surely didn't want to get up now, because she was so comfortable.

"Lorelai you have to get up", he tried again and pulled his arm out from under her. Lorelai groaned, and with her eyes still closed, she moved a bit and laid her head on Luke's shoulder, squirmed a bit around to get more comfortable.

"It's a quarter to six and you have to get up. It's Rory's first day at Chilton", he informed her and sat up, so that her head dropped from his shoulder onto the pillows. When she still didn't react he got out of bed and pulled her comforter off of her.

"Noooo, it's cold! I wanna sleep, you jerk", she said but finally opened her eyes.

"Aren't you charming in the morning, sunshine", Luke said sarcastically and opened his side of the closet to get his clothes out. "I'm gonna take a quick shower so the bathroom will be free afterwards for you to get ready. And be up when I come out, otherwise no coffee for you. And don't forget to wake Rory", he told her.

"But the alarm-clock hasn't purred yet. Why didn't it purr yet?" she protested.

"Alarm-clocks don't purr, they ring", he rolled his eyes.

"It's furry it purrs", she mumbled in response.

"There you have your answer, now get up!"

"Sadist", she muttered when he walked out of the door.

"I heard that", he yelled back and she rolled her eyes, but then got out of bed with another groan.

* * *

"Oh my god, oh my god", Lorelai muttered when Luke came out of the bathroom. The content of her closet was thrown all over the room and she searched now through his side.

"Hey, what do you think you're doing?" he said when he saw her throwing out his socks and boxers.

"I don't have any clean clothes", she informed him.

"Well I doubt you'll find some buried in my underwear", he remarked while he rubbed his hair dry with a towel.

"But I need something to wear! Rory will be known for the rest of her time at Chilton as "the girl whose mother showed up naked or in her pajamas"", she said and her voice reached a hysterical high.

"And what's this?" Luke asked her and picked up something that was hanging on the side of the closet.

"That's my blue suit with the flippy skirt. But that's still at the dry-cleaners, I forgot to pick it up", she said and her mouth hung open.

"Well, I figured you'd forget it, although you mentioned it a hundred times yesterday, so I went there and picked it up when I went to get the last boxes from my apartment", he informed her and handed her the suit. Slowly a huge smile formed on Lorelai's face and before she knew what she was doing she pecked him lightly on the lips.

"Angel! You've got wings baby", she smiled and then hurried into the bathroom to get ready, leaving a stunned Luke behind.

"Mom, you're up already", Rory said when she came out of her room half an hour later and found her mother in the kitchen with a mug of coffee in front of her and a plate of pancakes, scrambled-eggs and bacon on the table.

"What? You though I'd sleep in?" Lorelai asked and faked a shocked expression.

"Well, you're purring friend up there isn't the most reliable thing and you slept in quiet a few times since you got it".

"But it's pretty! And my flannel- clad friend up there seems to be reliable", Lorelai smiled like the cat who got the cream.

"Somehow I think that smile screams for a "dirty"", Rory said and got herself another mug and poured coffee into it.

"Oh no, get your mind out of the gutter. How am I suppose to know if he's reliable in THAT way when he's only slept here one night", Lorelai protested.

"Oh gross mom. So nothing happened?" Rory wanted to know.

"Nothing happened. Just two old friends sleeping in one bed. Absolutely innocent", Lorelai said, the smile back on her face.

"Then why are you grinning like that?"

"I don't know.. It's just a nice morning. Beside the fact that it's your first day at Chilton, Luke woke me up and he got my suit from the dry- cleaners. When I came down after my shower coffee and breakfast was ready. It's just… nice", she explained.

"Somehow that sounded more like your personal butler moved in and not your future husband", Rory said and grabbed one of the pancakes and some eggs.

"Huh", Lorelai said and the smile vanished.

"I think we have to pay attention so that this doesn't happen. We should do something nice for him because he does all this for us," Rory went on.

"True, but we have to get going now otherwise you'll be late", Lorelai agreed and got up.

"By the way: Where is Luke?" Rory asked.

"At the diner. He left after he made us breakfast". They grabbed their bags and purses and then walked outside to get into the jeep. Lorelai turned the key, but the jeep didn't start.

"Oh no! Tell me this is not happening", Lorelai said and tried again and again to get the jeep to start.

"Mom! What are we gonna do! I'm going to be late! And then I'll be the girl who was late on her first day. I can't be late on my first day", Rory panicked.

"Ok, come on!" Lorelai suddenly said and got out of the car and slammed the door shut.

"Mom, where are you going?" Rory screeched.

"Hurry! We're gonna be late", Lorelai said and started to run.

"What? Are we gonna run there?" Rory yelled, but followed her mother.

Out of breath they reached the diner in a few minutes and burst through the door.

"Luke we need your car", Lorelai pressed out and steadied herself by grabbing his arm, which held the coffee-pot.

"No", Luke said firmly and shook his head.

"But I'm gonna be late", Rory yammered.

"Tell me what's going on here", he turned to Lorelai.

"The jeep won't start and we're gonna be late", she gasped.

"Do you know how to drive a stick?"

"No"

"Then I'll drive you, let's go", he said.

"Okay, everyone out, the diner is closed!" he announced and handed Patty the keys.

"Lock up when they're gone", he said and then followed Lorelai and Rory outside, where they were impatiently waiting at his truck.

* * *

"Luke thank you, thank you, thank you" Rory said and hugged Luke briefly when they arrived at Chilton.

"No big deal", he shrugged and blushed when Rory hugged him.

"Wow, I remember it being smaller", Rory said when she pulled back from the hug and looked at the school building.

"Yeah and less…" Lorelai started.

"Off with their heads?" Luke shrugged.

"Yeah", both Lorelai and Rory nodded.

"So where do we go?" Lorelai asked when she snapped out of the daze.

"Uh, the Ambroise building", Rory answered.

"Which is?"

"The big, scary one", Rory said.

"Oh great, that helps", Luke grumped.

"You're coming with us?" Rory asked him.

"Nah, I'm gonna wait in the car", he said and pointed with his thumb back to the truck.

"Oh Luke, come with us. Don't you want to know where your future step-daughter is going to school?" Lorelai teased him with a shocked expression.

"Yes, daddy, don't leave me alone", Rory played along and hugged Luke's arm.

"I should have let you walk here", he muttered, but didn't resist when they lead him into the school.

When they had finally reached the office after a long time of looking around, they entered after a knock. The secretary looked up, but didn't say a word.

"Oh! How. . .wow, hi. I'm Lorelai Gilmore. This is my daughter, Lorelai Gilmore. . .'cause I named her after me. I was in the hospital all whacked out on Demerol. Never mind. Um, but we call her Rory. It's short for Lorelai, but she'll answer to either one, or even 'Hey, you' depending on the. . . Uh, is the headmaster here?" Lorelai stuttered the last words, after Luke had nudged her.

"One moment" was everything the secretary said before she walked through a door behind them. "Headmaster Charleston will see you now", she said when she came back out.

"Great. Great Thanks", Lorelai stuttered and grasped Luke's arm because suddenly she was incredibly nervous. She felt like it was her first day at Chilton and not Rory's.

"Ms. Gilmore. I'm Headmaster Charleston. And Mr….", the elder man behind the desk said and got up to welcome them.

"Danes", Luke said and shook the hand of the headmaster as well.

"Hi. Wow, it's really nice to meet you..." Lorelai started, but stopped when she saw her mother sitting on the couch. "Uhm excuse me… mom, what are you doing here?" she asked surprised.

"I came to wish my granddaughter luck on her first day of school", Emily shrugged and got up.

"But…" Lorelai started, but her mother didn't listen to her.

"Luke, nice to see you here as well", she said and shook hands with him.

"Mom" Lorelai tried again, but this time Emily turned to Rory.

"Rory, you look wonderful in that uniform", she complimented.

Thank you grandma", Rory muttered.

"Well, would you like to take off your coat and have a seat?" headmaster Charleston said then and pointed to the chairs. While Lorelai and Rory sat down and took off their coats, Luke kept his coat on, knowing that underneath he still wore the grease-stained flannel from the diner.

"Oh no, I'm fine", he said when the headmaster and Emily eyed him suspiciously.

"I'm afraid they were a little overzealous with the furnace this morning. It's quite warm in here", the headmaster said.

"I like it warm", Luke shrugged, but already blushed in embarrassment.

"Luke, take off your coat and sit down. You don't want Hanlin to think you're rude", Emily interjected and with a defeated sigh Luke opened his jacket and sat down on the chair.

"I didn't… I wasn't… the diner… and then the car", he stuttered and was glad when Emily interrupted him.

"Hanlin, did you know that Rory has a 4.0 grade point average?", she turned the attention to Rory and Luke slumped back in his chair, relieved that the focus was off of him.

* * *

As soon as they left the office though Emily started. "How could you show up here looking like that? " she asked him and pointed to the stains on his shirt.

"It wasn't planned that I'd come here, believe me", he sighed and put on his green coat again.

"And on Rory's first day of school. What kind of an impression did you think you were gonna make?" Emily went on.

"What are you doing here, Mother?", Lorelai sighed and interrupted Emily's attack on Luke.

"I told you, I came to put in a good word for Rory"

"Well, she didn't need a good word", Lorelai argued back.

"I'm not allowed here, is that it?" Emily asked and raised her voice.

"She didn't say that", Luke said, but went quiet when Emily shot him a look.

"I'm allowed to pay for it, but I can't actually set foot on the premises. I just want to get the rules straight", Emily went on.

"Oh boy", Luke muttered and this time Lorelai glared at him.

"How about the street? Can I drive down the street?" Emil asked.

"Forget it", Lorelai sighed and turned to leave.

"Maybe I should just avoid this neighborhood altogether, though my doctor's just down the block. Maybe I can get special permission if I'm bleeding from the head", Emily wasn't finished yet.

"I'm sorry. I was just surprised to see you here", Lorelai said and kept walking to the exit, Luke following them.

"I just thought it was important for this school to know they had a Gilmore amongst them".

"A very good thought", Lorelai replied sarcastically.

"And that the Gilmores actually own clothing", Emily said and was surprised when Lorelai stopped abruptly and whirled around to face her.

"That was a low-blow mom! We dragged Luke out of the diner because my car wouldn't start and he had to drive us here. He never intended to come with us in the first place, but we wanted him with us. So stop attacking him! You should thank him, because otherwise we would have never made it on time", Lorelai yelled at her.

"And on that note, I have to get back to the diner. I'll see you later", Luke said angrily to Emily and walked to his truck, Lorelai following him.

"Dinner, Friday night. No stains, please", Emily yelled after them and made them both groan in annoyance before they got into the truck and drove off.

"You're gonna come back with me and pick her up?" Lorelai asked during the drive.

"We'll have your jeep fixed, probably it's only the battery", he said.

"So you're not coming back with me to pick her up?" Lorelai asked again.

"No way", he shook his head.

"Can I have coffee when we get back? Extra strong? Or in an I.V.?" she asked.

"I can give you tea and a balance bar", he said.

"Please, please, please, tell me you're kidding", she said and pouted. One could never know.

"I'm kidding", he nodded.

"You're sick", she said and swatted his arm, Luke never took his eyes from the road.

"Yup", he nodded again, and felt his spirits lift ever so slightly because of the banter with her.

"You're a sadist, you're a fiend!", she went on.

"Extra strong and to go?" he asked and looked at her for the first time since they had started the drive back. A small smile played around the corners of his mouth.

"You're pretty", Lorelai sighed, then giggled, her bad mood due to Emily Gilmore, somehow gone.

**TBC**


	10. Burn everything down

**Chapter 10: Burn everything down…**

A week later Lorelai was woken up when Rory poked her in the side. She slowly opened first one eye then the other.

"Evil child", she muttered and turned around, buried her face in Luke's chest, who was still lying beside her. She didn't wonder about it, in her dazed state of mind, but just used his chest to block out Rory.

"Mom! Luke! You have to get up! The bake sale is today"; Rory said and took her mother's blanket away.

"Made all the cakes… last night"; Luke muttered, thinking back to his late night baking, because Lorelai had told him and Sookie really short notice about the bake sale, because she had forgotten about it.

Luke had come to bed around three in the morning and was grateful that Ceasar was opening the diner that morning.

"But we still have to pick up Sookie and all the cakes she made. How are we gonna do that?" Rory asked while taking Luke's blanket away as well.

"Truck bed", Luke mumbled, and took his pillow and buried his face underneath it.

"Mom! Get up! Right now or I'll tell Luke what you said yesterday", Rory threatened and Lorelai bolted up in bed.

"You wouldn't dare!" she yelled at her daughter and threw her pillow at her daughters' face.

"Oh yes I would!" Rory grinned and threw the pillow back.

"But… but… I had to sit with these horrible people last night and drink this disgusting coffee which your teacher made. You owe me!" Lorelai shot back, referring to the parent's night at Rory's school the day before.

"I guess that's what "being a parent" brings along. And now for the last time: Get up!"

"All right, all right", Lorelai muttered and got out of bed, when Luke stopped her by grabbing her arm.

"What did you say to Rory?" he wanted to know without opening his eyes.

"Go back to sleep, Luke", she smiled, petted his head and pulled her arm away.

"Go downstairs and make coffee, spawn of Satan, I'm gonna take a shower and will be down in a few", Lorelai instructed Rory, while grabbing her clothes and disappeared into the bathroom.

* * *

"Sooo, it's really true what you told me, huh?" Rory smiled at her mother while they sat at the kitchen table, both with a cup of coffee, waiting for Luke who was taking a shower.

"What do you mean?" Lorelai played dumb.

"Well, you looked pretty cosy up there, in bed with him. No wonder you don't want to get up in the morning since he moved in", Rory grinned.

"Oh shush you, I never said that. You must have misheard", Lorelai said, but smiled widely.

"So only friends, huh?" Rory teased her further.

"Only friends", Lorelai nodded, but asked herself at the same time how long she could keep pretending, when Luke was sleeping beside her every night, cooking for her and Rory, living with them. It was like playing house, without the playing part. They really felt like a family and she knew that if Luke would make a move, she would be happy to go along with it.

Her thoughts were interrupted when Luke entered the kitchen, fully dressed, the car keys in his hand and ready to leave.

He took the several plates with cookies and cakes that he made the night before and securely stored them in the bed of the truck.

"You're right, he really smells great when he's out of the shower", Rory whispered to Lorelai when they grabbed their stuff to follow Luke.

"Hey, he's way too old for you", Lorelai laughed and swatted Rory's arm playfully. "And I didn't say great, I said hot", she muttered while she left the house and Rory was out of earshot.

* * *

"Ok, we've got our French fantasies, American treats, and our Italian taste sensations and the stuff that Luke made. Well, what do you think?" asked Sookie and dismissed Luke's cakes with a wave of the hand.

"Amazing", Rory nodded.

"Incredible", Lorelai agreed.

"It is good, isn't it? Well, final touch", Sookie said and prepared to light a swan shaped dessert on fire, when Luke took the lighter out of her hand.

"No way. Rory didn't start this school for you to burn it down after a few weeks", he said and stuck the lighter in the back-pocket of his jeans, what didn't go unnoticed by Lorelai and she wiped her mouth when she snapped out of her daze, to check if she was really drooling.

"Very Henry the Eighth", somebody suddenly said and Lorelai turned around and came face to face with Max Medina, Rory's English teacher, who she had met the day before.

"Well we're not into subtle", Lorelai shrugged and extended her hand to greet him.

"Good to see you, Lorelai", the teacher said and Luke's head shot up when he heard the familiar greeting.

"Good to see you, Mr. Medina", Lorelai remained formal and Luke concentrated back on cutting the cake, relieved.

"Max", the teacher insisted and Luke's head shot up again. Who was this guy and what was he thinking? Hitting on Lorelai like that when for all this guy knew Luke could be her husband.

"Mr. Medina", Lorelai said.

"Max"

"Mr. Medina. Meet Sookie, the chef at the inn. And Luke my, uhm, a.. uhm.. friend. Guys Mr. Medina, Rory's teacher", she introduced them and felt stupid when she didn't know how to introduce Luke. She had wanted to say "my fiancé", but was that really what he was? Yes, they were getting married, some day and they were living together, but they weren't a couple. She wasn't sure if Luke would freak out if she would've introduced him as her fiancé. That was a big step and so far they hadn't discussed it.

"Hello", Sookie greeted him, happily as ever and Luke shook his hand while giving him a death stare, but it didn't seem to bother Max.

"Hello. Lorelai, could I borrow you for a second?" he asked instead and Lorelai sought out Luke's eyes. When he just shrugged and kept cutting the cake, she agreed.

"Oh, yeah, sure," she shrugged. "Oh! Hey I'll be right back", she informed Sookie and Luke and followed max into the courtyard of the school, which was pretty deserted.

"You know, Lorelai, I would love for the ice to thaw", he said as soon as they were alone.

"There's no ice", she shook her head.

"Well you repeated my full name four times. That's ice".

"No, that's not ice, it's wintry", she replied and wondered why she was having such a discussion with Rory's teacher. Why did he care if there was ice or winter? They didn't know each other.

"I really do think Rory's a great kid and I'm going to do my damnedest to make sure she gets through Chilton in one piece", he said, referring to Rory's difficulties with her class-members who seemed more competitive than was good for them.

"I appreciate that", Lorelai said with a polite smile.

"And I'd like us to be friends", the teacher went on. "Oh my…" Lorelai thought, closely followed by "Luke where are you?".

"We are. Me too", she said then, having no idea what else to say.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. Really, truly, I swear. There's no more ice. We're walking in a pool of tepid water", she assured him and wondered if that was the moment where she could go back to her real friends.

"I'm going to propose something here. I'm not sure how you're going to take it", he started and Lorelai knew that she had to stay now.

"Oh wow, intrigue", she joked lamely and glanced over her shoulder, checking if she could see Luke to give him a sign, that he should come and save her.

"I'd like to see you sometime. Away from the ivy, away from the gargoyles, away from here", he told her and Lorelai felt her cheeks flush.

"Are you asking me out on a date?", she asked and couldn't believe it, but was flattered at the same time. This guy here knew her for one day and was asking her out, while Luke was sleeping beside her for weeks now and hadn't even asked her out to dinner yet. No move, not even a try to become something other than friends. It was frustrating her, that he didn't do something, especially since they were living together.

"Yes", Max nodded and smiled. He had a nice smile that she had to admit. Although Luke's smile was… she had to stop this, she told herself. Luke wasn't interested in her and this guy here was her daughter's teacher!

"Mm. Well, uh, I don't want to go out on a limb here, but I'm guessing if the headmaster won't let a kid be thirty seconds late for a test he'd probably frown on a teacher dating a mom", she reasoned.

"I do my job well, I'm dedicated to my students, and there's nothing in the Chilton book of ethics that prohibits it", he smiled again.

"Yeah but I'm guessing it's sort of an unwritten rule", she said.

"Do you want to go?", he asked her directly.

"And Rory would probably freak at the thought, she went on with her reasons why this wasn't a good idea. 'Luke wouldn't even care', she thought sadly.

"Do you want to go?"

"And the other parents would have a field day with this kind of thing"

"Do you want to go?" he asked again and looked her in the eyes. He was there, he liked her and she hadn't been on a date in months. And Luke… he wasn't interested in her, she told herself again. Marriage, or no marriage. Just friends.

"Yes", she said.

"Good", max smiled even wider.

"Um...how about coffee? You like coffee?" he asked her then when she remained silent.

"Only with my oxygen", she replied honestly.

"Can we drink some together? A sort of pre-date. Very casual, no strings, no obligations. We'll just see if it's even worth going down the road of including food in the deal. Just coffee. Decaf? There's nothing safer than decaf", he suggested.

"I'm going to be in town tomorrow because I take a class at Hartford State and there's a coffee shop across the street that I sometimes, almost all the time, go to around 4:00 and usually exactly 4:12. I could not stop a person from entering said establishment around that time, nor would I avoid them if I knew them if they did", she said and asked herself if she only felt guilty because this was Rory's teacher, or because she was getting married… to Luke… who was just her friend.

"You know the wordsmith thing -- that's something we have in common", Max laughed and squeezed her arm gently.

"See you around, Max", she smiled back.

"Indeed. You will", he said before she turned around and walked back to the cake stand, not aware that the goofy grin was still plastered on her face.

"What did he want?" Luke's gruff voice brought her out of her thoughts.

"Oh… uhm… nothing", she lied and gave him a quick smile. Why was she lying to him, she asked herself.

"Yeah, sure", Luke snorted and handed a piece of cake to one of the other parents.

"Hey Sookie, you've got everything under control here? Luke and I should head back to the Inn and the diner. I'll pick you up later, like we planed, okay?" Lorelai turned to her friend who just passed out recipes to some of the mother's.

"Yeah sure. Just go", Sookie waved her off and then turned the attention back to the recipes. Luke handed out one last piece and then turned to Sookie before he followed Lorelai to the truck.

"Here take this. Burn everything down if you like and make sure you don't miss out the English department", he whispered to Sookie, an angry undertone in his voice, he handed her the lighter and marched off to the truck.

* * *

During the drive back the tension was so thick in the truck it could've been cut with a knife. Lorelai wondered where Luke's sudden bad mood was coming from and she stopped talking when he snapped at her for the fourth time in ten minutes. Maybe all the snotty people at Chilton had caused his bad mood, but she wasn't sure and hoped it would vanish when they were back in Stars Hollow.

Luke on the other hand ranted internally. What else did he have to do that she would see him? He had agreed to marry her; he had moved in with her, he cooked her breakfast, lunch and dinner. He cared for Rory, he repaired things in the house and he even shared her bed, although it was driving him crazy that while she was allowed to snuggle up to him every night, he couldn't do anything without breaking all gentleman rules. And now there was this stupid teacher, hitting on her right in front of his eyes, and she introduced him as "a friend".

* * *

That evening when he came home from the diner, Lorelai was already upstairs, waiting up for him. He got his clothes, took a shower and then went downstairs to sleep on the couch. He couldn't sleep in the same bed with her when she was dating another guy, and he was sure that's what her goofy grin had meant.

Lorelai wondered when she heard the bathroom door close and Luke didn't come back to the bedroom. She got up and walked downstairs quietly, as not to startle him, whatever he was doing. She stopped dead in her tracks when she was halfway down the stairs and saw him sleeping on the couch. It hurt her that she suddenly seemed to repulse him so much, that he couldn't even share a bed with her anymore.

She missed him beside her; she missed her human pillow, which she could snuggle up to.

He missed her beside him; he missed her head on his chest and the smell of her hair.

They both didn't sleep that night

**TBC**


	11. Accidentally

**Thank you for all the reviews, I really appreciate it!**

Dialogue borrowed from Episode 1.05

* * *

**Chapter 11: Accidentally**

The night had been long and horrible for both Luke and Lorelai. Neither had slept and both had tossed and turned all night long.

Luke had been even grumpier in the diner than usual and Sookie had asked Lorelai several times what was wrong with her, since her friend hadn't been her bubbly and cheerful self, but Lorelai hadn't answered and just mumbled something about a headache.

In the evening she had her business class and her "non-date" with Max. She contemplated if she should really stop at the coffee-shop, but then she thought that maybe some attention and affection, opposed to Luke's cold shoulder, would do her some good.

She was relieved when he wasn't home when she changed and dressed a bit fancier than she normally did for her business class.

* * *

When she entered the small coffee shop Max was already sitting at the counter, waiting for her. She sat down two stools beside him and took the menu out of the holder.

"Lorelai?" Max said and feigned surprise.

"Max! Hi!", she played along.

"Small world, huh?" he asked and smiled at her.

"Absolutely! What are you drinking?" she asked.

"Coffee", he replied

"Plain coffee?", she asked surprised.

"I wanted some cream but that prompted a very elaborate foam conversation. And the look of disapproval I got when I said I didn't want foam, just cream, rivaled the one I got from my dad when I told him I wanted to be a teacher", he explained.

"Wow, so it's been a tough outing for you, huh?" Lorelai laughed and found it nice how easy it was to talk and joke with him.

"Well it's getting better", Max laughed as well and then silence followed.

"Should we cut the cute and just get right to it?" Lorelai asked, wanting to know what he wanted and expected from this.

"I think we should date", he told her bluntly.

"Why?" she asked him.

"Because I think we both want to"

"Well I want to be in the Bangles but that doesn't mean I'd quit my job and get a guitar and ruin my life to be a Bangle, does it?"

"The Bangles broke up", he said and she was pleasantly surprised that he knew stuff like that. 'Luke doesn't even know who the Bangles are' she thought.

"Yeah, that's not the point", she said.

"Well it's got to be part of the point if there's no band anymore", he deadpanned

"I repeat my question: 'why should we date?'" she asked again and gave him a flirty smile.

"Because we're clearly attracted to each other", he said and mirrored her smile.

"I'm attracted to pie. It doesn't mean I feel the need to date pie", she replied.

"OK then because we are …" he started and had to think about it.

"Yes?" she laughed.

"…of similar heights", he shrugged and had to laugh at the stupid argument.

"Wow! Round one and already tapped", she grinned, but thought about Luke again. How he was taller than her and that he was just tall enough so she could wear heels but not so tall that he looked strange.

"Look I know that you are concerned about the appearance of us dating" he started.

"Yes I am", she agreed. 'Because I'm getting married to my best friend, who isn't attracted to me in a few months'

" Well I can tell you that I am the soul of discretion when it comes to delicate relationships", he promised her.

"Dated a lot of Chilton moms, huh?" she grinned and wasn't surprised that she wasn't jealous.

"No, I meant any relationships -- work, family", he said.

"Oh so you have things to hide in all aspects of your life -- very interesting".

"Do you have any hemlock back there? Arsenic, something quick?" Max asked the waitress and Lorelai laughed whole-heartedly

"Rory is my life. She's my pal, my everything. And I would never, ever do anything that would hurt her", Lorelai decided to cut right to the chase.

"I understand, but Rory's not a baby anymore", Max said.

"Don't say that! She's eight! She's eight and her favorite hobby is making necklaces out of gum wrappers", Lorelai joked.

"OK, when my uncle was a young man, there was this girl who lived across the street from him and he was completely in love with her ... but he never talked to her. But he knew in his gut that this was the girl he wanted to spend the rest of his life with", Max started a story.

"This is gonna be sad isn't it?" Lorelai interrupted him

"Let me finish", he said and lay his hand on her arm.

"It's gonna be sad", Lorelai stated.

"So anyhow my uncle watches this girl, waiting for the right moment to approach her. Next thing he knows, he gets drafted".

"Oh, going for Kleenex", she joked and started searching her purse, but he stopped her by taking her hand in his.

"No. Now he thinks 'this is perfect. I'll come back, I'll have a career, I'll have served my country, I'll be worthy of her love.' When he gets back ... she's gone. Moved away. No one knew where and he never saw that girl again. Now my uncle, he didn't say much to me, but the one thing he did say was that if there's something in your gut that you know you feel is right you gotta go after it, no matter what. What do you say?" he asked her after finishing, her hand still in his, while he stroked with his thumb over the back of her hand.

"Maybe dinner wouldn't be so bad" Lorelai sighed and got out one of her business cards and wrote down her cell-phone number.

"Dinner? You mean we could sit together? Even drive together?" he teased her.

"Just take the card", she laughed and handed it to him.

"I might frame the card".

"Just use the card", she told him.

"I definitely will", he told her and got up to leave. Lorelai stopped him when he was a few feet away.

"Hey, that story about your uncle -- is it true?" she asked.

"Goodbye Lorelai Gilmore", Max grinned and left the coffee shop with a smile.

Lorelai remained in the shop for a while longer. She ordered a cup of coffee herself and contemplated her situation while she sat there and drank her favorite beverage.

Max was good looking and he had a really sexy voice, that much she had to admit. He was also fun to hang out with. At the same time though she couldn't get Luke out of her head.

The argument, or actually the non-argument, of the day before was still in her head. He had already left that morning when she had got up and she hadn't found the courage to go to the diner.

She had missed him this morning and she was having withdrawal, not only because of the lack of his coffee.

She loved the routine they had developed; she loved the family they had become, although now she had to admit that this was all just in her head.

She and Luke weren't a couple and it seemed like they never would be. She asked herself if her mother would also keep paying for Chilton if she decided to date Max. Or if she and Luke should maybe make an arrangement about the terms when one of them was dating somebody else. Would the date be able to sleep in the house? Would they go to the apartment above the diner? She knew that she and Luke would have to talk about that sooner or later, but then again the mere thought that Luke could date someone else and hold HER then like he was holding her now at night, made her sick to her stomach.

* * *

When she arrived at home she parked the jeep and was surprised when Rory ran out and hugged her.

"Hey, what happened?" Lorelai asked and hugged her daughter to her.

"Where were you?" Rory asked and pulled back to look at her mother.

"At my business class, like every Wednesday", Lorelai told her.

"But you're three hours late! Luke is going crazy!" Rory said and hugged her again, before she stepped back completely.

"Luke's worried?" Lorelai asked.

"Yeah, he was home waiting for you, but then you didn't show up and he called me at Lane's asking if you were come home later, but I didn't know anything. He called me at least ten times asking if you had called me and I think he even tried your cell-phone, but as always you turned it off during the class", Rory explained while they walked into the house. Lorelai immediately went into the living room, then upstairs, while calling for him.

"He's not here anymore, mom. He had to close the diner and said he'll be back later. I gave him a quick call when I heard you pull up", Rory said and Lorelai sat down on the bed, glanced over her shoulder to his side of the bed. She felt horrible because of her date with Max.

"Hey mom", Rory interrupted her thoughts.

"Yeah?"

"Did you and Luke have a fight? He was really weird today", Rory said.

"Nah, not really. He was just in a mood after the Chilton thing yesterday. I think I'll go and see him at the diner and see how he is", she decided and got up from the bed.

"Okay, I'm going to sleep though" Rory said and gave Lorelai a kiss on the cheek.

* * *

The sign was already flipped to close by the time she arrived at the diner, but as usually that didn't stop her. She just walked right in and the sound of the bells gave her a warm and fuzzy feeling. It always felt like home when she entered the diner, everything was so familiar.

Luke came out of the kitchen when he heard the bells ring and knew already that it was Lorelai. No one else would come in when the sign was flipped to close.

"Hey Luke", she smiled at him a bit unsure.

"Hey. Coffee?" he asked, because he lacked anything else to say.

"Do you even have to ask?", she smiled and sat down on her usual stool.

"So, Rory said you were worried about me. I just stopped at a coffee shop after the class", she explained and took the first sip of coffee, which was so much better than the coffee she had at the coffee shop.

"You always do, but you're always home earlier", he shrugged.

"Yeah… I am… I met someone there… accidentally", she said and avoided his eyes. But Luke knew her so well that he knew that she was lying. Combined with the fancy clothes and the short skirt she wore, he knew she had been on a date and hadn't met someone accidentally.

"Okay", he nodded nonetheless and decided to let it rest. She obviously didn't want to tell him, so he wouldn't ask. He cleaned the diner while she sipped her coffee and told him stories from the Inn. They left the diner together and walked back home in silence.

* * *

"We have to be quiet Rory's already asleep", Lorelai whispered while she opened the door. Quietly they hung up their coats and Lorelai trailed behind him, anxious to know if he would sleep on the couch again or if he would come back to their bed upstairs. She was afraid to ask him, so for once she kept her mouth shut.

She smiled when he walked up the stairs and waited by the door when he got his clothes and went into the bathroom. She was still standing in the doorway when he came back out and walked to the bed. Her smile got wider.

"What?" he asked her when she wasn't moving but observing him.

"Nothing. I was just waiting for you to get out of the bathroom", she said and walked to the closet to get her clothes for the night. She dressed as fast as she could in the bathroom, brushed her teeth and washed her face before she went back out, relieved when he was still lying on his side of the bed, reading.

"Still the same boring book?" she asked him and got in on her side.

"Yup, still the same book. Unlike some people I'm so beat in the evening from working that I can't read for hours and hours", he said and raised his eyebrows.

"Hey, I'm beat as well, I just have more energy than you", she shot back and lay down. This felt right. It felt right that he was back on his side of the bed. It felt right that he was reading his boring baseball book and she could tease him about it. It felt just really really good that he was back, even if it had been just one night without him by her side.

She had the urge to snuggle up to him, lay her head on his chest and burry her nose in his shirt to breathe him in. But he wasn't interested in her and she wasn't a woman who threw herself at the men she wanted.

She was really aware now of the fact that she somehow wanted Luke as more than her best friend, every morning when she woke up safe and happy in his arms made that clear to her. She wanted him to want her-which he didn't.

"You're tired?" he asked her

"Yeah", she nodded and didn't tell him that she hadn't slept last night.

"Ok, me too. Good night", he said, put the book on the nightstand and switched off the light.

"Good night", she said and waited for his breathing to become deep and even, so that she could snuggle up to him, when he was finally asleep, accidentally of course.

TBC


	12. The wake

**Chapter 12: The wake**

The next morning Lorelai found herself in the diner for breakfast. Everything seemed back to normal, well as normal as it could get under the current circumstances.

Max had tried to call her several times this morning, but she hadn't answered, because she wasn't in the mood to talk to him. Actually she had decided that she didn't want to go on a date with him, not yet, not ever.

She just didn't want to risk another fight with Luke and she was sure that that was what would happen if she decided to date Max. Luke wouldn't be okay with her dating Rory's teacher-not that she was okay with it herself. Luke though always did what was right, for him and for others and he would surely rant about her dating Max. He would tell her how wrong it was over and over again and although she loved ranting Luke, she preferred cuddling Luke better in the evening and she knew she didn't want to give that up for a stupid date with Rory's teacher.

"Luke?" she called out before she ate the rest of her pancake.

"What?" he asked and looked at her, and stopped scrubbing the counter to give her his undivided attention.

"Why do you still bothering to ask?" she grinned at him and held up her coffee cup for him to re-fill it.

"You're done eating and I'm not giving you another cup of coffee", he shook his head and started the usual banter that always followed this comment willingly.

"Ah come on.. otherwise I guess I have to tell Patty and Babette about this.. thing in your underwear drawer", she teased him.

"Ah Jeez, would you drop it already", he replied and blushed, knowing that she was referring to that single pair of briefs he owned that she had accidentally found when he had forgotten to bring his clothes with him into bathroom this morning.

"Coffee", she smiled brightly and held out her cup again.

"You're playing unfair", he told her while filling her cup to the rim.

"And withholding my elixir of life from me is fair?" she questioned and he just shrugged, but smiled back when she grinned at him. When he went into the kitchen she followed him with her eyes until she couldn't see him anymore and then sighed.

She felt safe, comfortable and calm whenever he was around, but the second he was out of sight and she was left alone with her thoughts the calmness was gone and she started to feel nervous, uneasy and anxious. She just didn't know what to do and the longer she thought about her situation and the future the more prominent the uneasy feeling in her stomach got.

Last night after Luke had fallen asleep she had analyzed the situation in all aspects and at the end of her analysis she had been sick to her stomach.

There were two facts she just couldn't wrap her mind around: 1. She knew now she wanted Luke for more than a friend. She wanted him to be her real husband and not just a fake one. She wanted to go out with him, kiss him, share her problems with him, sleep with him and build a future with him. And as much as that thought had scared her, looking at Luke sleeping beside her, had shown her that she really wanted this.

At the same time though there was fact 2: Luke wasn't interested in her as in more than a friend. And that basically made everything she wished for irrelevant, because it would never come true.

So what could she do? They'd get married, that was a given, but then what? Would she have to live in celibate for as long as she was married to Luke? Were they both allowed to date other people? Would they come up with an arrangement that they would have sex every now and then? She wasn't a nymphomaniac, but it had been a while since she had dated anyone and the prospect of not being able to go out with anyone for the next three years wasn't really promising. And that Luke was sleeping beside her every night didn't really help her case of sexual frustration.

She was brought back to reality when Luke yelled at her.

"Out!" he said and pointed outside. At first she was confused, but then she understood that her cell-phone was ringing.

"Hello?" she answered it and raised her eyebrows at Luke. When he told her to get out, he would have to throw her out.

"Hey, sweets", she greeted and Luke knew it was Rory on the phone. Slowly he walked around the counter and gave her a threatening look, which didn't seem to faze her. So he put his hands under her armpits, tried to ignore the fact that his fingers were really close to her breasts now, picked her up and carried her towards the door.

"What? Who died?" Lorelai suddenly said and immediately he put her down, giving her a questioning look.

"Aw, poor thing. Tell her Luke and I will be right over", she told Rory, then flipped her cell-phone shut. "Attention, attention please. Due to a family emergency the diner is closed now. Everything's on the house", she announced and Luke's mouth dropped open.

"What happened?" he asked while all of his customers got up and left, which caused some commotion because it was the six o'clock crowd.

"Cinnamon died", Lorelai told him and went behind the counter to get his set of keys, she knew he kept there.

"Who?" he asked while she dragged him out of the diner by his hand.

"Cinnamon, Babette's cat", she explained and locked the door of the diner.

"What? Have you lost your mind? I just lost a lot of money because Babette's Methuselah cat died? That was the six o' clock crowd, nearly thirty paying customers at once and you just threw them all out, because of a cat?" he ranted and trudged behind her so he could continue his rant, while she walked back to her house.

"But Babette is really sad and Morey as well, he could use your support, some male bonding", she said when he caught up with her.

"I don't bond because of a stupid old cat", he grumped.

"Luke, don't give me the Oscar the grouch act, I know you like cats", she smiled.

"I don't like cats! They lose hair, they lick themselves and they eat mice and rats", he said, making a disgusted face.

"While I agree with you, that they're not really sanitary, but I still know that you like cats. I saw you feeding that little homeless kitty a few months ago", she grinned.

"I did not feed any cat", he insisted.

"Oh yes you did my friend. There in the alley in the middle of the night so that no-one would see it. You even pet it", she teased him.

"I did not... by the way what are you doing out that late at night?" he asked.

"Aha, so you admit it!" she smiled knowing she had won again and Luke only groaned in annoyance.

"That thing was mewing the whole night under my window and I couldn't sleep because of the noise, so I fed it so it would shut up", he explained with a sigh.

"If that version makes you feel manlier I'll accept it", she smiled and patted his shoulder, as they walked up to her house, or their house now.

"There you are dolls. God it was so horrible", Babette, who sat on her porch, said and hurried to hug them both.

"Aw, I'm so sorry Babette. Cinnamon really was a special cat", Lorelai said and gave Luke a glance, signalling him that he should say something as well.

"Yeah…uh… really… uhm… red?" he tried and Lorelai rolled her eyes.

"Luke, why don't you go over to the house and call Patty and tell her she should spread the word that we are holding a wake for Cinnamon the cat this evening", she turned to Luke as she stepped out of the hug.

"A what?" Luke asked loudly and by the look on his face Lorelai knew a full rant about the craziness of it was to come.

"Think underwear drawer Luke", she said quickly and he narrowed his eyes at her, but she just smiled at him. "Come over when you're done", she grinned and led her neighbour into her house were Rory was sitting with Morey.

* * *

It had taken them some time to organize the wake for the cat, but in the end it had worked out just fine. Tom had built a small coffin for Cinnamon, Luke and Sookie had made the food, Lane and Rory were responsible for the music and Lorelai had taken over the organisation of it all.

"Last plate of sandwiches, where should I put it?" Luke asked her when he came in with another plate full of turkey sandwiches.

"Over there I guess. But pay attention that you don't mess up Sookie's order", she told him and winked at him. Luke shook his head, smiled and put the plate down on the table Lorelai had pointed to.

"So everyone's here huh?" he asked when he came back to her and she handed him a beer.

"Yup, and all because of 'that stupid old cat'", she said and whispered the last part into his ear, giving him goose bumps. He couldn't help but stare at her when they were so close and she stared back into his eyes. For a second they forgot the rest of the people in the room and looked at each other like love-sick teenagers.

"Uhm mom?" Rory cleared her throat and interrupted their moment, although she hated to do it.

"Yeah?" Lorelai asked and slowly took her eyes off of Luke and turned to her daughter.

"Mr. Medina is outside and wants to see you. I swear I didn't do anything", Rory said

"Max is here?" she asked surprised and took a step to the side to look out of the window and there he was in her front yard.

"Max?" Rory and Luke asked at the same time and Lorelai saw something in Luke's eyes she couldn't really name, but she didn't like it.

"Uhm… I'll go and see what he wants", she said when she saw Luke's jaw clenching and his hands forming fists.

"Mom", Rory said and wanted to go after her, but Luke held her back by the shoulder and Rory looked up at him.

"I'll talk to her later", he told her, thinking that it wasn't Rory's place to be the voice of reason.

* * *

"Hey", Lorelai greeted Rory's teacher when she reached her porch

"Oh, hi", he said startled and turned around to face her.

"Hi", Lorelai said, not sure what else to say and not sure what he was doing here.

"I was knocking but no one answered", he told her.

"I know. I was at the neighbours' house", she replied and raised her eyebrows questioningly.

"I tried to call you all morning, but I couldn't reach you. So I thought maybe I have the wrong number and because I didn't want to ask Rory at school for your number I thought I could just stop by and ask for it", he explained and shuffled nervously with his feet.

"You drove all the way here to ask for my cell phone number which you already have?" she asked him, angry and flattered at the same time.

"I guess. Why weren't you answering my calls?" he asked her and looked up from his feet.

"We had kind of an emergency here, I couldn't", she lied.

"Rory?" he asked and sounded worried, which she liked. A man who worried about her kid…

"No, Rory's fine. It's the neighbours' cat"; she hurried to explain when she saw him really start to worry.

"The neighbours'…" he trailed off.

"…cat. She died", she completed.

"She died", he repeated and shook his head slightly.

"This was a very fat, very beloved cat", Lorelai said and had to admit that it really sounded stupid. Silence followed for some seconds.

"Lorelai. I like you but I don't want to force something on you that you don't want so", he said and turned around and walked to his car. When she saw him walking away she felt sorry for him, because she liked him somehow, he was a nice guy. So she couldn't let him go like that, disappointed and maybe angry and ran after him.

"No, no, no. Wait. No, Max, you're not forcing anything on me. I'm telling the truth about the cat ", she said and grabbed his arm to keep him from getting into the car.

"Lorelai", he sighed and turned around to face her once again.

"Please don't read that much into this. Call me again and I'll answer. I promise that's what I want", she said and gave him a little smile.

"You're sure?" he asked.

"Cross my heart and hope no other neighbourhood pets die on that day", she grinned and told herself that calling was harmless. It wasn't a date. They could talk on the phone just as friends and he wouldn't be that disappointed. Maybe.

"Ok, I'll call", he nodded.

"Good", she grinned.

"Sorry about, uh…" he started and gestured with his hands.

"Cinnamon", Lorelai clarified.

"Cinnamon", he repeated and smiled at her, before he leaned towards her and kissed her on the cheek, then got into his car and drove off.

"Have you lost your mind?" Luke suddenly yelled behind her, having witnessed the whole scene and made Lorelai jump.

"Why are you yelling at me?" she asked confused.

"Why am I… because you obviously lost it! How can you start having an affaire with one of Rory's teachers?" he yelled.

"I am not having an… " She started, but he interrupted her.

"Don't we have enough trouble already because of that stupid school? We have to get married, damn it! And now you're fooling around with Rory's teacher? Are you trying to ruin her reputation at school on purpose or do you not care at all?" he roared.

"I'm not having an affaire and I'm not fooling around with him. He stopped by because he couldn't reach me", she said desperately.

"Because of what? Did he have to talk to you at ten in the evening? And kissing you sure seems like it was about school", Luke snorted.

"He didn't kiss me!"

"I saw it Lorelai, don't lie to me!" he started yelling again.

"Fine, so he kissed me on the cheek, so what? We're friends, he can do that. It's not like I'm cheating on someone!" she yelled back, really angry now. He wasn't interested in her, so why was he blowing this so out of proportion and why did he even care? It was none of his business.

"So you're randomly giving out goodnight kisses now? That's good to know".

"Don't talk to me like that!" she yelled, really hurt by his last comment.

"You don't like it? Well then maybe you should imagine what Rory will have to hear at school when you're …." He gestured to her and the place where Max's c had been only minutes ago, "with her teacher", he finished.

"That's none of your business! You can't tell me who to date and who not to date! And if I want to date Max I'll date him", she screamed.

"I'm going to be your husband!" he yelled.

"Yeah, according to a paper!" she screamed back.

"That's not what it seems like when you're all over me every single night, lying nearly on top of me", he yelled.

"Okay, then maybe you should really sleep on the couch if I'm that repulsing to you!"

"You're right I really should do that!" he yelled, then turned around and marched away, while Lorelai bit her lower- lip and tried to keep from crying.

**TBC**


	13. The house of horror

**Chapter 13: The house of horror**

Over a week later Luke and Lorelai were still fighting. Or actually they weren't fighting; they were just ignoring each other and weren't talking.

Luke had really slept on the couch all week, the first night he had even spent at his old apartment above the diner, what had caused another fight with Lorelai, because she was afraid that her mother would find out and their deal was gone.

So he had come back to the house the next evening, ignoring her completely ever since and had spent the night on the couch.

Rory had asked her the next day why they were fighting, but Lorelai wouldn't tell her why and all Luke had said was "Ask your mother".

Lorelai hadn't even been to the diner since the fight and her mood was getting worse with every passing day. She had yelled at Sookie, she had snapped at Rory several times and all because of a fight with Luke. The gossip in town had several theories with what had happened, but none of the theories had come close to what had happened.

* * *

So on Rory's birthday, when the three of them had to show up at the Gilmore mansion to a party which Emily had organized, the mood of all three of them was at the lowest point. Rory was in a bad mood, because she had found out that her grandmother had invited her classmates from Chilton, with which she didn't get along, Luke was still mad because Lorelai was dating Rory's teacher and Lorelai was angry because Luke had yelled at her and wanted to tell her who she could date, although it was none of his business.

But while Rory was only angry at her grandmother, both Luke and Lorelai were hurt because of the actions of the other: Luke because she was dating Max, Lorelai because Luke was giving her the silent treatment and wouldn't even sleep in the same bed as her anymore, let alone speak with her.

Quietly they got out of the car and trudged to the front door and Rory rang the bell, while Lorelai was staring at her feet and Luke was adjusting his tie, staring straight ahead, so he didn't have to face Lorelai.

When the door was opened by one of the maids all three stepped inside and saw that the party was even bigger than they had thought. After handing their coats to the maid, they made their way inside to the living room where they found Emily, surrounded by her DAR friends.

"Jeez, Mom. Leave some servants for the rest of the neighbourhood", Lorelai greeted her mother in a less than friendly tone, but Emily just ignored her and turned to Rory.

"There she is -- the birthday girl", she smiled at her grand-daughter

"Hi Grandma", Rory muttered.

"Wow, you really went all out, huh?" Lorelai asked and Luke raised an eyebrow at her tone, because she was clearly provoking Emily, which was never a good idea.

"Well I wanted everything to be perfect. What do you think, Luke?" she replied and turned to him.

"Mhh, nice", he just said. Lorelai raised her eyebrows disapprovingly at his answer while handing Rory her dress, which they had brought and she still had to change.

"Here, babe, go change", she told her daughter and Rory nodded and went upstairs. While the three adults stood in an uncomfortable silence together and Emily narrowed her eyes. Something was wrong, she knew it. When Lorelai saw her mother's look, she knew she had to say something, or Emily would.

"Nice candles. Six inches apart?" she asked and led her mother away, leaving Luke behind, alone between all those DAR people.

* * *

Two hours later and several annoying talks later with some of the other guests, Luke found himself once again alone, standing in front of the fireplace of the Gilmore's. Above the fireplace hung the painting of Lorelai and her parents and he could see the sadness radiate from her eyes on the picture.

He looked over to her and found her standing alone beside the bar, starring off into space. She looked so beautiful tonight in her blue dress that accentuated the curves of her body and brought out her sparkling blue eyes.

Luke hated the fact that they were fighting, but he wasn't willing to give in, because he knew he was right: It was wrong of her to date Rory's teacher and it was even more so now that they were getting married, forced or not wasn't important. One didn't date other people a few months before the wedding.

Still, he knew he loved her and he missed her, but he was too hurt by her actions to let it slide this time, just to have her back in his life and back in his arms at night.

"You're drinking white wine tonight? No Scotch?" Richard interrupted his thoughts and Luke had to glance at his glass to see that Richard was right: He was drinking white wine, and he hadn't even realized, because he had been deep in his thoughts already when he had taken the glass from one of the servers. Luke nodded and forced himself to at least look at Richard while he talked to him, but his thoughts were on the other side of the room, with the woman in the blue dress.

Lorelai was equally deep in thoughts, only her thoughts circled around Luke. She hated this party and she knew that he hated it even more and still he was here, for Rory. That thought made her heart swell for him, but at the same time she felt sick to her stomach because she knew she had dug herself into a hole with the whole dating Max thing and she wasn't sure how to get herself out.

She knew she wanted Luke and she knew that this stupid fight was killing her, even more so since Max kept calling and asking for a date.

She looked over at Luke who was talking to her father and by the way he stood there she could see how uncomfortable he was. He was wearing a suit and a tie and Lorelai knew he didn't like either one, although he looked really hot in it. She liked him in flannel, she liked him in his sleeping clothes, but GQ-ed up Luke was a thing in itself. He looked so handsome, that she had wanted to jump him the very second she had seen him at their house, but the icy glance from him had shown her once again that he was not interested in her.

That fact had made her so depressed over the last week, that she had found herself going through her wallowing plan, at least as much as she could. She had put the sheets he had last slept on together with her own nightgown and his shirt, which he had lent her, which she had kept, into a Luke box. She had watched old movies and she had eaten ice cream in her pyjamas. She felt ridiculous, that she was wallowing for a man who had only shared a bed with her for a few weeks, platonically, was now sleeping on the couch in her living room.

She sighed and took a drink from the bar before she walked over to Rory, who sat on the couch.

"What are you drinking? " Rory asked her when she saw the green drink.

"A Shirley Temple Black", Lorelai replied and held it out so Rory could smell it.

"Wow", Rory said and felt drunk from just smelling it. She looked at her mother and found her glancing at Luke again, a sad look in her eyes. But before she could say something Emily showed up beside them.

There you are. Come, there's some people I want you to meet", she said to Rory and led her away, leaving Lorelai alone on the sofa. Again she looked up and glanced at Luke, just to find him looking back at her. For a second their eyes locked, but then they both looked away as quickly as they could.

* * *

When Emily and Rory came back into the room minutes later, Rory looked at Lorelai and Luke both with a look that clearly said "Help me". Both adults came from where they were standing towards Rory, wondering what Emily had done now.

"I think it's time that she says a few words to her guests", Emily informed the Rory rescue guard.

"What? " Luke exclaimed and the sound of his voice sent shivers done Lorelai's spine, since she hadn't heard it in over a week, except when he was yelling at her.

"Just a little speech to say thank you and tell everyone how it feels to be one year older", Emily clarified for Luke.

"Mom, I don't think she wants..." Lorelai tried to stop her.

"She's the hostess, Lorelai. This is her responsibility", Emily remained stubborn, but that's when Rory snapped.

"I am not the hostess! You are!" she yelled at her grandmother.

"Hey, honey, hold on... " Lorelai tried to calm her and Luke was too surprised to say something.

"This is your party and these are your guests and I don't have anything to say to them, so you give the speech", Rory said.

"Rory?" Luke asked when he found his voice and placed a hand on the teen's shoulder to calm her, but it didn't work.

"Excuse me", Rory said and hurried off, up the stairs to Lorelai's old bedroom.

"What was that all about?" Luke asked and turned to Emily, but she had already turned to Lorelai.

"Lorelai, your daughter has no manners whatsoever. You should be ashamed of yourself" she told her daughter and stormed off.

"OK, how did this become my fault? " Lorelai asked and Luke just shrugged before he walked away and left her standing there, just like she had done it with him earlier in the evening.

* * *

When the party was finally coming to an end, all Luke wanted to do was get into the car and drive back home. He knew he couldn't stand one more talk about trust funds and insurance or he would kill himself, drown himself in the pool outside.

So while Lorelai and Rory said goodbye to Emily, Luke told Rory that he would get the car and hurried off, escaping the house of horror.

"Hey, Mom. Great party. One of your best. I even liked those brown mushroom things", Lorelai said, knowing that she had to calm her mother, so she wouldn't let her anger out on Rory.

"Grandma, can I talk to you for a sec?" Rory asked.

"Richard, they're leaving", was all Emily said to that and Richard immediately came over.

"Well, Rory, I hope you had a good time", he said.

"Yes, I did", Rory lied, thinking back to the confrontation with her stupid classmates and especially with Tristan.

"Now, I know that your grandmother has already bought you a gift and signed my name to it. That was part of our agreement when we got married. However, I feel this occasion calls for something a little extra. Put that towards your trip to Fez", Richard said and handed Rory a cheque.

"Oh, Grandpa!" Rory said and hugged her grandfather shortly.

"You girls should get going. You've got quite a drive ahead of you and Luke is already waiting in the car", Emily said and gave them both a pointed look.

"Grandma, we're having a party tomorrow at our house and -- I mean, it won't be anything like this but it will be fun and maybe you and Grandpa can come?" Rory asked hopeful, wanting to put the fight between her and her grandmother behind her.

"That's very sweet, dear, but I'm afraid we already have plans", Emily said icily.

"Oh, Ok", Rory said disappointed.

"Have a safe trip. Lock the door behind you, OK?" Emily said and walked back into the dining room, leaving Lorelai and Rory alone in the entryway.

"Hey, um, why don't you go and make sure that Luke is waiting for us still?" Lorelai said to Rory and her daughter went obediently outside.

* * *

"Where's your mother?" Luke asked when Rory got in the car alone.

"I guess she wanted to talk to grandma, because she sent me out to keep you company", Rory said.

"Ah. What a party", Luke sighed and Rory nodded.

"What a party".

"So she invited all of your classmates without asking you?" Luke asked her.

"Yup. She did. Half of them didn't even know who I am, the other half hates me", Rory told Luke.

"Unbelievable. I guess she likes surprises like those", he huffed.

"True. But it wasn't that big of a surprise, because Tristan showed me the invitation at school and I had no idea what he was talking about", Rory admitted.

"Why didn't you say something? By the look on her face I would say your mother didn't know either".

"I didn't want to stress you even more. Ever since your fight you're not talking to each other and you're both in such a bad mood, that I didn't want to make it even worse", Rory said quietly.

"Rory, no matter if your mother and I are fighting you should have said something. This has nothing to do with you, okay?" Luke asked her and turned in his seat to face her.

"But I'm the reason that you re fighting! If I didn't go to Chilton then grandma wouldn't…"

"This is not your fault. Believe me, we would have fought about this no matter what", Luke said and gave her a reassuring smile.

"Will you make up again?" Rory asked him and sounded timid and unsure.

"At some point we will", Luke told her and then turned around, because Lorelai had opened the car door and sat down in the passengers seat, a defeated and sad look on her face.

"Let's go", she muttered and faced the side window, while Luke drove them home.

* * *

Later that night when Rory was already in bed and Luke was sleeping on the couch, Lorelai was tossing and turning in bed again. She needed to confide in someone, someone to rant to, and someone who would keep her from crying

Slowly she got up and walked quietly down the stairs and swallowed her pride when she walked over to the couch.

"Luke?" she whispered to check if he was awake. She was surprised when he immediately sat up and looked at her, which she could see in the dark, because it was a full moon.

Without waiting for him to say something she sat down beside him.

"She said that Rory humiliated her in front of her friends and that it was my fault. She said Rory has no manners. She said that I always give up and that she knows me better than I think she does and that she won't come to the party tomorrow", Lorelai said quietly, her voice quivering.

"You know it's not true", Luke said slowly.

"What that she won't be coming? Oh believe me…" she started, but he interrupted her.

"Rory's an amazing kid and you know it. And you're not a quitter; you're the most stubborn person I know. And with or without Emily the party will be a success tomorrow", Luke reassured her.

"You think so?"

"Hey, she's the only girl whose birthday party as a kid was ended by the cops", Luke said and she was sure he was rolling his eyes at that.

"True", she nodded and even had to smile.

"I guess you should go to bed. Busy day tomorrow", Luke said quietly.

"Yeah. right", she agreed and reluctantly got up and walked back up the stairs, going back to her empty bedroom, to the bed were Luke was not occupying his side.

**TBC**


	14. Melting ice

**Sooo.. I am updating already... only because I can.**

* * *

**Chapter 14: Melting ice**

It had been another sleepless night for Lorelai and she had tossed and turned in bed, contemplating the whole night what she could do to make everything okay between her and Luke again.

At six o'clock she had got up and made herself a cup of coffee. Luke was already gone when she arrived downstairs and another opportunity to finally talk to him was gone.

Since the night before she wasn't really angry anymore, but sad that it had come this far. With her coffee she sat down on the couch in the living room and starred into the semi-dark room, before she put the cup on the table and lay down on the couch. She grabbed the folded blanket from the other end of the couch and wrapped herself in it. She discovered it smelled like Luke, and smiled. She was asleep in no time.

* * *

The rest of the day she spent preparing the party for the evening. Sookie brought the food and Patty would bring the punch. Everything was organized and planed the only thing she wasn't sure about was if Luke would come. 

Granted, it was Rory's party and she knew that her daughter had invited him, but on the other hand she feared that after the party last night he would just stay in the diner and wouldn't show up.

At eight o' clock everyone had arrived, even her parents had made an unexpected appearance, but Luke was still missing.

"Hey birthday girl. Present time", Lorelai announced and Rory happily cut the cake and then unwrapped her presents.

"Oh mom, this is too much! Thank you", Rory exclaimed when she saw the laptop her mother had bought her.

"Well, it's from Luke and me", Lorelai said and thought back to the day three weeks ago when she had dragged Luke shopping for presents for Rory. He had grumped the whole time, but in the end the laptop had been his idea and they had split the costs fifty-fifty, because he had insisted.

The townies in the room started to murmur, picking up on this gossip immediately.

They still weren't sure what was going on in the Gilmore house. All they knew was that Luke had moved in with Lorelai, that he accompanied her once a week to her parents and that nobody had seen them kissing or making out yet. And there was the blow-out in the front yard during the wake. After another guy had kissed Lorelai on the cheek Luke had yelled at her, obviously jealous, and ever since then they weren't speaking. The facts weren't fitting together, everything was too confusing to get a clear picture yet and one theory was more obscure than the other.

"Still, mom. It's really… wow", Rory said and hugged her mother.

"Well, if you don't want it I'll take it", Lorelai laughed.

"No way", Rory said and stepped back from the hug, looking around the room for Luke so she could thank him as well. She couldn't see him. "Mom, where's Luke?" she asked.

"I don't know. I guess he has to work", Lorelai said and tried to hide her sadness that he hadn't come behind a smile.

After Rory had unwrapped every present Lorelai suddenly came face to face with her father.

"Hey dad", she smiled and handed him a glass of punch.

"Hello Lorelai. Your fireplace needs a check-up", he said.

"I'll tell Luke", she said and again her smile vanished. She hadn't been aware of how much he was doing for her until they had this stupid fight.

"Where is he?" Emily, who had joined them, wanted to know.

"He has to work", Lorelai said.

"You're sure?" her mother questioned.

"Yes, mom", Lorelai replied confused.

"Well, you weren't sure before when Rory asked", Emily remarked.

"Yeah, well…" Lorelai said and was glad when she saw Sookie waving. "Excuse me", she apologized and went over to her friend.

"What's with the panicked look on your face?" she asked her.

"OK, don't panic", Sookie said.

"Well, I'm not the one who actually looks panicked.. Although I just faced my parents, so I dunno.. What's wrong?" Lorelai rambled.

"We're out of ice", Sookie admitted.

"How could we be out of ice? We had a ton of ice. It was like a penguin habitat in there", Lorelai asked.

"I don't know how it happened, I just know it happened and somehow we have to deal with it", Sookie said.

"I'll go and get some then", Lorelai sighed. She knew that to get ice at this time she had to go to the diner and face Luke. Sookie only nodded and went back into the kitchen, and quietly checked the door to the backyard so no one could see the bag of ice she had hid there, wanting Lorelai and Luke to have a chance to work out whatever the problem was.

Lorelai got her keys from the desk and grabbed her jacket, just as the door opened and Luke came in, carrying two bags of ice. Lorelai stared at him and yelled without taking her eyes from him. "Oh! Oh my God! You're a vision! Sookie, we have ice!"

"Hallelujah", Sookie said when she looked around the corner, just to disappear again when she saw how Lorelai was looking at Luke.

" How did you know? " Lorelai asked Luke and smiled.

"Well, a good rule of thumb is you can never have too much ice", he said.

"Oh, you're the best", Lorelai exclaimed and rushed over to him and hugged him tight. Luke couldn't resists and let the bags of ice drop to the floor and wrapped his arms around her. It felt too good to have her back. Lorelai pulled back slightly and looked up to him, starring into his blue eyes. It hit her again how much she liked him as more than a friend and she had the overwhelming urge to kiss him.

Luke stared back, tightened his arms around her waist and mirrored her smile with one of his own. He could see her eyes sparkling in the dimly lit entryway and he thought, for the first time, that she actually felt the same way he did for her. That she was interested in him as in more than friends, that maybe, this marriage wouldn't be as hard as he thought.

He took one hand from her waist and stroked one strand of her hair behind her ear let his hand linger on her cheek, while slowly their faces became closer and closer.

Until they heard someone clear his throat and they jumped apart, turning around only to come face to face with Emily Gilmore.

"Oh, hi, Mom. Luke brought ice", Lorelai stuttered while Emily smiled with raised eyebrows.

"How are you doing?" Luke asked after clearing his throat, the distant look back in his eyes.

"Fine, thank you", Emily still grinned.

"Well I'd better get the ice in the freezer before it melts", Luke said and hurried of into the kitchen, to get out of the situation.

"Well, not very likely in here", Lorelai muttered and glared at her mother, before rushing past her into the living room, angry at her mother and the rest of the world, that they hadn't kissed.

* * *

Later in the evening, when everyone was telling stories from Rory's childhood, Lorelai kept throwing glances at Luke. He was sitting on the armchair by the fireplace, laughing with the rest of them, sharing memories from Rory's and her past with the others. 

From time to time their gazes locked, just like the evening before, and just like the evening before they kept breaking it quickly and looked away.

When Lorelai saw her mother disappearing upstairs, she followed her, shrugged when Luke threw her a questioning look.

She found Emily in her bedroom, Our bedroom, she corrected herself, with a quilt in her hand which lay on the bed.

"I made that", Lorelai said and made her presence known.

"Really? " Emily asked surprised.

"From Rory's old baby clothes".

"How nice. Hope you washed them first", Emily said and lay the quilt back down on the bed.

"Oh, rats. I knew I forgot something", Lorelai cursed jokingly.

"That's quite an assortment of characters you've assembled down there". Emily stated and sat down on the bed.

"They're great people".

"This Patricia .."

"Miss Patty" Lorelai corrected.

"She teaches dance?" her mother asked.

"Among other things", Lorelai smiled.

"And Luke.." Emily said in a soft tone.

"Luke", Lorelai repeated and sighed quietly, which did not go unnoticed by her mother.

"How long have you been seeing him? Since my condition or even before?" Emily asked.

"Luke? I'm not seeing Luke. He's just a friend. And will be my husband soon… because of your condition", Lorelai explained, but stopped smiling.

"Mm-hmm", Emily nodded knowingly.

"Mom, I swear. Luke keeps me in coffee, he feeds me.. that's all", Lorelai said and sounded disappointed even to her own ears.

"He likes you", Emily stated.

"And you're judging this by what? " Lorelai asked surprised.

"By they way he looks at you", Emily smiled.

"Which is how?"

"Like you were about to give him a lap dance right in the foyer when you hugged him".

"Mom, he did not look at me like that", Lorelai shook her head, but smiled. She liked the possibility that maybe, for once, her mother could be right.

"You're pleased", Emily noticed.

"What? " Lorelai asked and snapped out of her thoughts.

"You smiled. You're pleased that Luke looked at you like a Porterhouse steak", Emily grinned.

"I'm smiling because you're crazy and that's what you do to crazy people to keep them calm", Lorelai stalled, not willing to admit anything to her mother, because she knew that it could easily backfire. Emily just looked at her and raised her eyebrows, and kept smiling.

Then she got off the bed and looked around the room, saw Luke's jeans lying over the back of a chair, several of Lorelai's shirts on top. She saw Luke's razor on a shelf in the bathroom and his bathrobe on a hook on the door.

Then she saw something different: A picture of Lorelai on crutches.

"What's this?" she asked Lorelai and picked up the picture frame.

"Well, that's me, Mom".

"I know that's you. You're wearing a cast".

"Yeah, that's when I broke my leg", Lorelai shrugged.

"You broke your leg? "

"Yeah, three years ago during a yoga class. The headstand portion took a very ugly turn. The good thing was I brought the smug, blonde, pretzel chick down with me. I've since learned that I'm a bit too competitive for yoga", Lorelai smiled at the memory.

"I never knew that you broke your leg", Emily said quietly.

"It was no big deal, Mom. If I'd been really sick you would have known", Lorelai dismissed it.

"Yeah, well...You know, you could get a maid in here once a week to at least tidy the place up. I'm sure Luke is not too fond of this chaos", Emily changed the topic and put the frame back down on the dresser.

"I like it cluttered nd Luke hasn't complained so far", Lorelai said.

"You can't even find the bed".

"Yes I can. It's the thing that I crash into on the way to the closet", she joked.

"I should go check on your father", Emily said.

"It was nice that you came tonight, Mom. It meant a lot. To Rory. Really", Lorelai said and gave her mother an honest smile.

"Well, she is my granddaughter, after all. I should be here", her mother said.

"I totally agree", Lorelai nodded and Emily picked up the quilt again, wanting to fold it neatly.

"Leave it", Lorelai smiled at her mother, who lay down the quilt and left the room. Lorelai stayed back, to think about what her mother had told her. Could it really be true? Did Luke look at her _that way_ ? For a moment she let herself believe that Luke actually had a thing for her. She thought back to the look in his eyes earlier, to their game of look-and-look-away, to the way he had held her each night, to the way he comforted her with a few words last night. But then the thoughts of the fight came back, of the icy stares he had given her, the cold shoulder he had been giving her. She sighed again and left the room, switched the light of. She had a party to host.

* * *

Later that night, when all the guests were gone, Luke was getting rid of the trash and Lorelai found herself alone in the kitchen, packing away the left-overs, she looked out of the window and saw Rory and the boy, Rory didn't want to talk about. By the way her daughter looked at him, and by the way he smiled at her she knew it had to be him. 

She saw that he handed Rory a gift, which she unwrapped. It was a bracelet, which looked like he had made it himself.

She saw how he tied it around Rory's wrist, saw her daughter smile at the boy, before he leaned in and kissed her daughter and she kissed him back.

Lorelai's mouth dropped open and she turned around, debating if she should run out and slap him. She whirled around again, saw him walking away, saw the happy smile on Rory's face.

Right at that moment she was jealous of her daughter, because for her everything came easy, while for her everything was always twisted and complicated.

She heard the door open and close and knew Luke was back, just before the backdoor opened and Rory came in, a happy look still on her face. Rory kissed her on the cheek, said goodnight and went to bed; Luke retreated to the living room, made the couch ready to sleep on.

Right then Lorelai knew something had to change, the sooner the better. She was sick of being alone and unhappy.

**TBC **


	15. We belong

**Me again... who else would be updating this story?!**

**Again, hope you like it and I am waiting for your reviews ;)**

**Chapter 15: We belong**

The next evening when Luke came home from work he heard music blasting from inside the house, even before he got out of the car.

"What the…", he muttered and unlocked the door. He knew that this had to be Lorelai's doing, not Rory's, so he wasn't that surprised when he found Lorelai on the living room floor, surrounded by all of her video tapes, screaming along with the song.

"Marconi plays the mamba, listen to the radio, don't you remember? We built this city, we built this city on rock and roll. We built this city; we built this city on rock and roll. Built this city, we built this city on rock and roll. Someone's always playing corporation games. Who cares they're always changing corporation names. We just want to dance here someone stole the stage. They call us irresponsible write us ….", she sang and nodded her head to the beat of the music, bouncing up and down at the same time. He stilled in the doorframe and watched her for a few seconds, how she sorted the tapes in an order that no one else would understand and again, couldn't help but notice how beautiful she was.

She was wearing black sweats, a casual blue shirt and her hair was pulled up in a lose ponytail, while she sat crossed-legged on the floor, in the middle of the chaos.

Quietly Luke walked over to the stereo and turned down the volume and Lorelai turned her head to look at him, and jumped slightly.

"What the hell are you doing?" Luke asked her and put his hands on his hips, pretended to be mad.

"I'm organising my videos", she informed him.

"And what's with that noise?" he grumped.

"That's music, Luke. I know you might not have heard it until now, but that's the big M-word", she told him.

"I know what music is", he replied and sat down on the couch.

"Good, although I'm surprised", she said and smiled slightly, glad that the banter seemed to be back.

"So what's going on?" Luke asked.

"I told you I'm sorting…" she started, but he interrupted her.

"I know, but you're never cleaning or sorting except for when you are upset or worried. So tell me what happened", he said. He was sick of fighting with her, especially since he was sure there had been a moment the day before. There had been a moment and he didn't want to ruin that memory by fighting with her. They could fight again when this Max guy showed up again.

"Nothing is going on. What's up with you? Why are you here already?" she tried to avoid an answer.

"I asked you first", he replied.

"And I asked you afterwards", she snapped at him.

"What's wrong with you today?" Luke asked surprised.

"Rory got kissed", Lorelai replied defeated and sighed.

"What?" Luke asked, because he thought he had misheard.

"Rory had her first kiss and that new guy in town did it", Lorelai grumbled and got off the floor and sat down beside him.

"Ah", Luke nodded.

"Yeah", she said and nodded as well.

"The new kid", he repeated, needing to wrap his mind around it.

"Yep", Lorelai nodded again and was surprised when Luke laughed.

"I mean look at him when he walks through town or works at Doosey's. Look how smug he is", she complained.

"He's bagging groceries at Doosey's. It's hard to be smug bagging groceries", Luke tried to reason with her.

"Oh, you haven't seen how he handled those lemons", she argued.

"What are you talking about?"

"He threw them in the bag. Not tossed them or placed them but threw them like they were nothing to him", she clarified.

"They're lemons", Luke said and raised his eyebrows.

"They're symbolic", she insisted.

"OK. Now you've officially lost it", he deadpanned.

"No. That' Lothario has wormed his way into my daughter's heart and mouth and for that he must die!", she said and jumped up, hurrying to the desk and grabbed her keys. "That's it, let's go", she said to Luke and grabbed him by the arm, wanted to drag him along with her.

"No. You're not going to kill the bag boy"; Luke told her, while taking the keys out of her hand and pushed her down on the couch again.

"Why not?" she pouted.

"What are you thinking wanting to go and see that kid ?" Luke asked instead of giving her an answer.

"I don't know. I just wanted to see him. I mean I've seen him already but that was before he was…", she stopped.

"Rory's boyfriend?" Luke clarified and again sat down beside her.

"Shush, you", she muttered.

"She's growing up".

"I know", she admitted quietly.

"There's nothing you can do about that", he told her sincerely and looked her in the eyes.

"OK, Mr. Reality, break into somebody's else's house", she huffed and broke the look.

"Sorry", he smiled.

"Why didn't she tell me?" she asked sadly.

"What?"

"Why didn't Rory tell me about the kiss?" she clarified. ' Ah, now we're getting to the problem', Luke thought.

"Maybe she didn't know you'd take it so well", he said.

"Want to hear something crazy?", she asked him and looked up from her hands.

"'Cause all the talk up until now has been so normal", he replied sarcastically and rolled his eyes.

"He kind of looks like Christopher", she said, "the hair, the build, something about the eyes. He reminds me of Christopher".

"Well that's not too surprising", he said through clenched teeth. He had never met this guy, but if he ever did he was sure then he would kill someone.

"You're going to quote Freud to me? 'Cause I'll push you off the couch. This talk was going so well", she sighed.

"You and Rory are a lot alike. It's not surprising you have similar tastes in men", he said.

"I guess. But why? Why didn't she tell me? We tell each other everything", she replied and thought that Dean would have to look like Luke for them to have similar taste in men, but she couldn't tell him that.

"This is different", Luke shrugged.

"But we tell each other everything else. But this she keeps a secret. It's 'cause it's a guy thing", she complained.

"Probably", Luke nodded.

"Well that's not good. I have to make her understand that I'm OK with the guy thing. 'Cause not talking about guys and our personal lives that's me and my mom. That's not me and Rory", she said and sounded desperate.

"Are you OK with the guy thing?" Luke asked.

"Yes", she replied immediately.

"Really?", he asked again and looked her in the eyes.

"OK...ish", she admitted.

"That's not OK", Luke said and gave her a small smile.

"Well it's OK with an –ish", she pouted.

"Whatever you say", Luke chuckled.

"She just … she thinks I'll disapprove, right? Well I won't. I'll show her that I think this is great, everything will be back to normal between us, right? Right … OK, good", she rambled.

"So you passed the need for an actual person to talk to several minutes ago", he grinned.

"Oh, yeah", she nodded and had to laugh as well. It felt so good to talk to him about her problems. Everything didn't seem that bad anymore when she could just talk to him.

"You're an amazing woman", Luke told her in a deep and low voice, while she smiled brightly at him, and he squeezed her knee for a second.

"Thank you for noticing", she said and stared at him. The situation reminded her of the looks they had shared the day before at the party. Again they were lost in each others eyes when Lorelai suddenly became aware of the song which was playing.

"We can't begin to know it how much we really care.I hear your voice inside me I see your face everywhere", the voice of Pat Benatar echoed through the room and broke the silence, broke their stare, registered what she sang.

"I guess you should really put those tapes away now", Luke said after clearing his throat nervously.

"Yeah", Lorelai nodded.

"I'm gonna take a shower", he said and hurried upstairs.

"We belong to the light. We belong to the thunder. We belong to the sound of the words. We've both fallen under. Whatever we deny or embrace, for worse or for better. We belong, we belong, we belong together", the song went on, before Lorelai pushed the button and changed the song.

"Everybody needs a little time away." I heard her say, "From each other." "Even lovers need a holiday. Far away, from each other". Hold me now, it's hard for me to say I'm sorry. I just want you to stay. After all that we've been through I will make it up to you I promise to. And after all that's been said and done you're just the part of me I can't let go" the stereo sang when she turned up the volume again.

* * *

She spent the rest of the evening contemplating what to do. She knew she wanted a change, she had decided that she needed a change, but at the same time her thoughts about Luke were always interrupted by her thoughts about Rory. Why wasn't she telling her about the kiss?

When Rory came home from Lane's, she doubted that Rory had even been at Lane's and thought about calling Miss Kim to make sure her daughter had been where she had said.

But then she decided against it, she didn't want to be her mother. She wanted to trust Rory.

The dinner which Luke passed with Luke and Rory talking about school and about her classmates from Chilton, but Lorelai was too deep in her thoughts to even listen.

"What's with her?" Rory asked Luke quietly when they put the dishes away after the meal, "Did you have another fight? Please tell me you didn't! Yesterday while cleaning up it looked like you made up again", Rory said.

"You're mom and I are fine, Rory. I guess she's thinking about her video tapes", Luke tried stalling.

"About her videos?" Rory asked und wrinkled her forehead in disbelief.

"Yeah she tried to re-organize them today, but she didn't have a system so she…" Luke started but stopped when he saw Rory's look.

"Luke!" she said in a threatening "don't lie to me"- voice.

"Jeez…. Ask her yourself okay? I want to stay out of this", he said. "Although I'm already knee-deep in", he muttered to himself.

"Okay, I will", Rory nodded.

"Hey, I'm going to go and help Cesar close the diner. See you later", Luke announced and again fled out of the situation, because he knew mother and daughter needed some time alone.

"And I'm gonna take a shower", Lorelai said and left Rory alone in the kitchen.

* * *

After washing the dishes and putting them away Rory waited in front of the television for her mother to come back down, and when she didn't she decided to go up and look for her.

She found her mother on her bed, reading a book she hadn't seen before.

"Hey mom", Rory said when she entered.

"Oh hey", Lorelai greeted her.

"What are you reading?" Rory wanted to know.

"Oh... uhm... nothing. Just looking at what Luke is reading so intensely for several weeks now", she said and held up the book.

"The history of baseball. Thrilling", Rory smiled and sat down beside her mother on the bed and Lorelai remained silent. "You miss him, huh?" Rory asked after a moment of silence.

"Who?" Lorelai played dumb.

"Luke, duh! You don't like that he is sleeping on the couch since your fight over a week ago", Rory clarified.

"It's his bad and his back. He can decide where he wants to sleep", Lorelai said unconvincingly.

"Mom…"

"Yeah.. well… it's stupid. I have this huge bed here all to myself and he's sleeping downstairs on the tiny couch".

"Mom, you really like him", Rory stated.

"He's one of my best friends, of course I like him", Lorelai replied.

"Mom, come on! You can tell me the truth! Remember we're best friends first and you can tell me everything", Rory tried.

"Yeah, just like you told me about the kiss and your boyfriend", Lorelai said angrily before she could stop herself.

"Mom… you know about that?", Rory asked while turning pale in the face.

"Of course I know. He kissed you right in front of the kitchen window while I was cleaning up".

"Mom, I wanted to tell you… I really did… but…and then… and I couldn't", Rory stuttered.

"Tell me at least what his name is", Lorelai said.

"His name is Dean, he just moved here and he goes to Stars Hollow High. He has a sister and he loves movies", Rory said as fast as she could.

"He looks like a nice guy", Lorelai smiled at her nervous daughter.

"He is", Rory grinned and blushed.

"Good, and tell him I'll kill him when he decides not to treat you right", Lorelai said.

"I will. Now tell me about Luke and you", Rory changed the topic again.

"There's not much to tell. We fought, we somehow made up, nothing changed", Lorelai summarized.

"And you want things to change between you?"

"I… I don't…. Yes, I really want things to change between us. But I guess he doesn't want it", Lorelai admitted.

"Mom, are you crazy? Luke has always had a thing for you!", Rory laughed.

"Then why isn't he… doing something?" Lorelai questioned.

"I guess for the same reason you're not doing anything".

"But he's the guy!"

"Mom, that's ridiculous", Rory laughed again.

"Don't insult mommy!" Lorelai said, but had to smile as well.

"Hey mom, what did you guys fight about? I asked Luke but he wouldn't tell me", Rory asked the question that she wanted to ask for several days.

"It's… it's not important anymore", Lorelai said and shook her head.

"Okay, I' going to bed then. Night mom!", Rory said and kissed Lorelai on the cheek.

"Night", Lorelai sighed and flopped back down on the bed.

"Mom?", Rory said and stopped in the doorway.

"Hmm?"

"I know this is lame and totally after the fact but…" Rory said and grinned, then jumped on the bed when Lorelai sat up, a giddy smile on her face.

"Start from the beginning and if you leave anything out you die!", Lorelai grinned, happy that at least things were back to normal with her daughter. Now she could concentrate on Luke

**TBC **


	16. Maaaax Medina

**Thank you so much for the reviews! Keep them coming! Please check out the new Backpacking in Europe Fiction, the link is in my profile. **

* * *

**Chapter16: Maaaax Medina**

It was getting cold in Connecticut two weeks after Rory's birthday and Lorelai was so on edge by the whole situation at home that the last Friday night dinner had been a disaster. An unnerved Lorelai and a happy Emily didn't merge too well and Luke had stayed out of it, which annoyed Lorelai even more.

They were back to their normal banter during the day, but in the evening he still retreated to the couch. Lorelai hadn't asked him to come back as for her it had been clear that he would come back to their bed once their fight was over, but he didn't.

She wanted to ask him, wanted him back in her bed, but she didn't dare to ask, because she was afraid it would get awkward between them again, or worse, they would fight again.

So Luke was sleeping on the couch, night after night and his back was killing him. He had a stiff neck and every move he made hurt, yet he didn't want to go back to the bed they had been sharing.

Lorelai hadn't asked him back and he had intruded on her personal space to begin with. He thought about putting a real bed in the living room, but he knew that Lorelai would have never agreed to that and he didn't want to risk another fight. He knew they had to face their problems at some point, but he didn't feel ready yet.

* * *

That evening Lorelai was sitting on the couch. Luke had called and told her that Caesar was sick and he had to clean up the diner and close all by himself. She had thought about going to the diner to help him, but then something had distracted her. 

Max had called. She hadn't answered the phone, thanking god again for the invention of a callers ID, and he had left a message on the answering machine, which she was now listening to.

"Lorelai, it's Max. . .Medina. Maaaax Medina. And once again we've missed each other. It's now ten o'clock in the evening on Thursday and I'm still in my office grading a paper titled "Emily Dickinson: Get a life." Anyhow, as I sit here losing my faith in mankind, I wonder if we're ever gonna actually go on that date we talked about many moons ago. I teach a night class in Stamford twice a week, and when I pass that Stars Hollow sign on the turnpike, I think, out there is a beautiful woman that I someday hope to spend time with. Anyhow, I'm just thinking about you, and I don't know, maybe next week we can find some time. Goodbye Lorelai. . .Gilmore. You knew that. Okay, bye," the voice said and Lorelai pressed the play button again.

"Lorelai, it's Max. . .Medina. Maaaax Medina….", he said again while Lorelai was deep in thought. What should she do with him? She had ignored his calls, the time he had called her at the Inn, she had refused to go on a date with him. What else could she do? She felt sorry for him and didn't want to tell him off in a harsh way either, because he was a nice guy and she liked him. Not as much as she liked Luke though. She was so deep in thought that she didn't even hear Rory come out of her room.

"Mom?", the teen asked.

". .And once again we've missed each other. . " Max's voice said.

"Sorry!", Lorelai said and stopped the answering machine.

"What are you doing up?" Rory asked her.

"I can't sleep", Lorelai said truthfully.

"It's freezing in here", Rory said and went over to the open window to close it.

"Wait, close your eyes and breathe. I smell snow", Lorelai smiled.

"Ah, it's that time of year", Rory nodded.

"Can't you smell it?"

"You know, it's like dogs and high-pitched noises. I think it's something only you can smell", Rory grinned and sat down next to her mother and got under the blanket as well.

"I love snow", Lorelai sighed.

"Really, I had no idea", Rory laughed.

"Everything's magical when it snows, everything looks pretty. The clothes are great. Coats, scarves, gloves, hats", Lorelai smiled.

"Thermal underwear, wool socks, ear flaps", Rory went on.

"Do you know that the best things in my life have happened when it snowed?"

"Why, yes, I do", nodded Rory.

"My best birthday".

"Your first kiss".

"Your first steps. They all happened when it snowed", Lorelai smiled happily.

"So what do you think will happen this year?" Rory asked her mother.

"I don't know. Guess I'll have to wait and find out", Lorelai shrugged.

"Maybe Mr. Medina will show up here again to ask you out on another date", Rory said.

"And that would be a good thing why?" Lorelai looked at Rory.

"I don't know. You're the one sitting in the cold listening to this message over and over again".

"I'm thinking about how to let him down without hurting him. He's a nice guy this Mr. Medina and I would definitely date him if…" Lorelai trailed of and sighed.

"If there wasn't Luke", Rory finished her sentence.

"Mmh", Lorelai just made and sighed again. Rory, who knew she wouldn't get more than this out of her mother, decided to change the topic again.

"So, how soon is it supposed to hit?" she asked and pointed to the window.

"Hm. Tomorrow. . .definitely tomorrow", Lorelai said after sniffing again.

"Okay, then, tomorrow it is", Rory smiled.

"What?"

"You, me, Luke, donuts, coffee, standing out in a snowstorm", Rory enlightened her.

"At midnight?" Lorelai asked.

"At midnight", Rory nodded.

"Do you really think Luke will stand out in the snow at midnight?" Lorelai asked her.

"Believe me he will. Otherwise I will start pouting and he can never resist the pout", Rory grinned.

"You are my favourite daughter", Lorelai exclaimed and bounced excited on the couch.

"Ok, on that note I'm going back to bed. Goodnight" Rory said, got up nd kissed her mother's cheek

"Goodnight", Lorelai yelled after her and pushed play again, because she still hadn't found a solution to her problem.

"Lorelai, it's Max. . .Medina. Maaaax Medina. . .", she heard again and sighed. Why was everything so complicated?

* * *

When Luke came home that night the first thing he notices was how incredibly cold it was inside the house. Without taking of his jacket he walked into the living- room. 

"Ah jeez", he muttered when he saw the open window and closed it immediately. He checked the heater and found it burning. "Crazy Lady", he added when he found Lorelai sleeping on the couch, a light blanket thrown over her legs and feet, while her nose was already red from the cold.

He took the blanket away and lifted her up, when something glided out of her hands and fell on the couch.

"Lorelai, it's Max. . .Medina. Maaaax Medina. . .", the voice of Rory's teacher echoed through the room. As quickly as Luke could he hit the button with one finger to stop the message. He thought about dumping Lorelai back on the couch, because anger had hit him again, but then she snuggled into him, rubbing her cold nose on his jacket over his chest.

"No Max…. Luke", she mumbled in her sleep and although Luke wasn't exactly sure what that meant, but the "No Max" part was enough to calm him and it brought a smile to his face.

He carried her up the stairs into their warm bedroom and carefully placed her on the bed and tucked her in. He made sure her feet were under the blanket and then walked into the bathroom to get ready himself.

When he came back out he looked at Lorelai's sleeping form on the bed and knew that there was no way he could sleep in the icy living-room. Lorelai might already be sick, so he shouldn't take a chance to get sick as well.

So he got in beside her and was surprised when she immediately rolled over and had him in a death grip in a matter of seconds.

Luke just smiled and hugged her to him, placed a kiss on her forehead and went to sleep himself, exhausted from the long day.

* * *

Lorelai wasn't sure if she had imagined Luke beside her that night or if he had really slept in their bed again, because he had been gone before she woke up. Yet he must have carried her to the bed and tucked her in and that showed that he cared. 

The Inn was busy that day and so she hadn't had time to contemplate that issue further and when Michel came to her with the phone and her mother had told her that Rory wouldn't be able to come back to Stars Hollow because of the snow storm, Lorelai's spirits sank.

Her mood got better though when she took her walk through the snow that evening. It was nice, because everything was beautiful, white and silent.

That was until she reached the town square where the re-enactors were arguing with Luke. She decided to stay and watch the show for a moment.

"Harry, come on, stop this before somebody drives through town and thinks the local mental institution has bad padlocks", Luke said unnerved.

"Luke, you ought to be ashamed of yourself. Your father was a re-enactor".

"Yes, and I thought he was crazy too", Luke shot back.

"There goes the fire chief, the police chief and the one paramedic with a valid license. I feel safe, don't you?", Lorelai asked and walked over to where Luke was standing.

"Look at them, all relatively intelligent men, but there they are dressed up in costumes, standing out in a snowstorm, and for what?", Luke asked her.

"Because it's tradition," she shrugged.

"Tradition is a trap, it allows people to stick their head in the sand. Everything in the past was so quaint, so charming. Times were simpler. Kids didn't have sex. Neighbours knew each other. It's a freaking fairy tale. Things sucked then, too. It just sucked without indoor plumbing" Luke ranted.

"I think some traditions are nice. Birthdays. Holidays. Taking a walk in the first snow of the season", she grinned.

"I didn't get the Hallmark card for that one".

"When I was five, I had a really bad ear infection and I had been home in bed for a week and I was very sad. So I wished really hard that something wonderful would happen to me, and I woke up the next morning and it had snowed. And I was sure that some fairy godmother had done it just for me. It was my little present", she told him with a smile.

"Your parents never explained the concept of weather to you?" he asked her, but grinned.

"I'm making a point, Mouthy McGee. Of course, many years later, I realized that logically, the snow was not there for me personally. But, still, when it snows, something inside me says, 'hey, that's your present.' I don't think it'll ever change," she sighed happily.

"Come on in, I'll get you some coffee", Luke asked her then, not wanting her out in the cold for much longer.

"No, thanks. I'm gonna walk around. Enjoy my present a little," she said. "You want to join me?" she asked him then.

"Join you walking around in the cold, in the middle of the night only to freeze my nose off and get wet feet?!" he asked her.

"Sounds fun, huh?" she grinned and nudged him in the side. Luke nudged her back and Lorelai started to laugh then looked up and their eyes locked, just like at Rory's birthday party weeks ago.

This time though they didn't want to look away, but at the same time knew they couldn't keep it up because they were surrounded by half of the town.

"Why don't you go ahead and I'll come after I'm going to bring these loons something to drink, so they won't freeze to death", he said in a low and soft voice, their eyes still locked.

"Okay", she said quietly and gave him a shy and nervous smile before she walked away. She glanced back over her shoulder and laughed when Luke rolled his eyes at her while he took the orders from the men.

When she was around the corner she couldn't help but squeal and skip a bit, because she knew this was her chance, her chance with Luke.

Where could she go with him? To the lake? It was beautiful and romantic there. Or maybe they should just go home and she could cuddle close to him on the couch, pretending she was cold? She could…

"Well, well, well", she suddenly heard a familiar voice and whirled around.

"What are you doing here at this time of night?" Max Medina grinned at her and Lorelai squeezed her eyes shut. This just couldn't be true. Snow couldn't have lost it's magic.

**TBC**


	17. Good answer

**So I think realized now that I love keeping you on the edge, and I hope that you know you're not off the hook yet! Thank you so much for alle the reviews and keep it up, it makes me happy!**

* * *

**Chapter 17: Good answer**

Incredulously Lorelai stared at Max and prayed that Luke wouldn't come now, because she didn't want fate to ruin another chance for Luke and her.

"I live here. What are you doing here? "she asked him harshly and looked quickly over her shoulder to check for Luke.

"I was on my way back from Stamford, and my car decided to stop," he told her, slightly taken aback by her tone.

"Here? "

"Yes."

"In my town?" Lorelai asked, still in the same tone.

"Yes", he nodded again and eyed her suspiciously.

"What a coincidence", she muttered and looked to the snow-covered ground.

"It's nice to see you", Max said and tried to lighten the mood.

"Uhuh", Lorelai said without looking up.

"You know, a minute ago, I was really angry about something and now I just can't remember what it was", he went on, but this time she stayed quiet. "So, this is quite a predicament I'm in. Stranded here in a strange town with no one I know…. " he went on, but again she stayed silent. "Where's Rory tonight?" he asked then, trying to get a reaction.

"She's in Hartford with her grandparents".

"That must be nice".

"Whatever you say", Lorelai snapped at him.

"Hey, what's…" Max said and trailed off when he saw Luke walking directly towards them. When Lorelai found him staring at someone or something she turned around and saw him as well. She saw him clench his jaw when he saw Max and she loved how protective he was about Rory's reputation.

"Mr. Medina's car broke down here and I met him here".

"Uhuh", Luke only said and glared at Max.

"The mechanic is refusing to repair the car tonight, so I really have a problem", Max hurried to explain when he saw Luke's look.

"Gypsy! Why won't you repair his car tonight?" Lorelai asked immediately and went over to the mechanic.

"Because it's a freakin' snowstorm out here and he won't be able to drive home, no matter what", Gypsy replied. Lorelai thought for a second about it, then turned to Luke.

"What do you think: We drive him over to the Inn, where I get him a room and then we take our walk?" she asked with a hopeful tone and completely ignored Max, which didn't go unnoticed.

"I don't need a hotel room, I…" Max protested.

"Guess we can't leave him out in the cold all night", Luke muttered and ignored Max.

"Ok, then let's go. The faster we can go on our walk" Lorelai smiled happily and Luke gave her a small smile back.

When Max saw Lorelai smiling at Luke he understood what was going on and knew that he had lost, actually that he had never had a chance.

* * *

After they had checked in Max at the Inn, Luke and Lorelai wandered through the snow covered town, in the middle of the night. 

Silently they walked through the cold night side by side, glancing secretly at the other from time to time.

"God, it's a beautiful night, huh?" Lorelai broke the silence when they reached the Gazebo.

"Yes, it is. So beautiful with all the slippery frozen water on the ground, the air being so cold it hurts to breathe and tomorrow everything will be muddy and I'll have to wipe the diner-floor a thousand times. Isn't it a lovely night", Luke answered sarcastically. "Where are we going?" he asked then.

"You'll see", she smiled and ignored his rant.

"Are we gonna get there before my fingers freeze off?" Luke grumbled.

"Oh don't be such a baby", she laughed and grabbed his right hand and took it into hers, blew on it and rubbed it.

"You're crazy", he said and grabbed one of her hands, so she would stop it, but then kept holding her hand while they kept walking. After a while they stopped in front of the Black and White Movie Theatre.

"You wanna watch a movie?" he asked her and wrinkled his forehead.

"I don't know", she shrugged, not really caring what they would do or where they would go, as long as they were together like this.

"Why don't we get something to eat and watch the movie at home?" Luke asked, not really fond of the idea of going into the Stars Hollow cinema, under the eyes of the gossip queens.

"Al's or Joe?" she grinned.

"I'm not gonna eat this crap", Luke protested.

"Come on… a movie and Al's burgers, that's the tradition", Lorelai told him and tugged at his hand.

"Burgers and fries from the diner. Take it or leave it".

"Add pie and we've got a deal", she grinned and Luke sighed in defeat.

"Fine, but let's hurry", he grumbled and hand in hand they made their way to the diner and were soon spotted by the re-enactors.

"Luke, can you bring us some coffee?" Harry yelled across the square.

"I already brought you coffee", he yelled back and gave Lorelai's hand a squeeze before he let it go.

"I could really go for some more cocoa", another man yelled and Lorelai laughed.

"We'll be out with coffee, tea and cocoa in a second", she yelled back.

"What? I thought we were going home and watching a movie?" Luke asked her.

"You make our burgers and fries and in the meantime I'll save the guys over there from becoming the new Oetzis", she informed him and dragged him into the diner.

"Aren't you Mother Theresa?!" he snorted, but knew at the same time he had no choice and he wouldn't want it any other way.

* * *

When they arrived back at Lorelai's house the atmosphere had gotten slightly awkward and the lightness of before was replaced by nervousness and longing on Lorelai's side and by confusion and happiness on Luke's side. 

"So, welcome to the Crap Shack. I hope you'll have a nice stay", Lorelai said.

"Would you just open the door?!" Luke grumbled, the bags with food in his hand.

"All right all right, keep your pants on!" she answered and then thought that actually she wanted him to lose them.

Together they made their way inside into the kitchen and Luke placed the bags with food on the table before he took off his jacket and hung it over the back of a chair.

"You want some coffee with the food, right?" he asked and walked to the coffee-maker. Lorelai took of her own jacket and her scarf and then watched him. She knew that this was her chance. He had let her hold his hand, there had definitely been a moment and the house was empty; It was now or never.

"Luke?" she asked quietly and walked over to him.

"Huh?" he asked without turning around and filled the filter with coffee.

"Luke?", she asked again and took the spoon out of his hand and placed it on the counter beside the coffee maker. She could smell his aftershave and stepped a bit closer. When he turned around he saw that she had trapped him between the counter and her body and his breath caught in his throat when he saw the look in her eyes. He saw her lick her lips while she stared at him and a second later she slung her arms around his neck and kissed him. He felt her hand on his neck and her lips on his. Before he was able to react she pulled back and took a step back, stared at him again, at his lips to be exact.

"How badly do want this coffee?" he asked her huskily and pulled her close again by her sweater.

"Not that badly", she mumbled.

"Good answer", he rasped before her lips were on his again.

Lorelai couldn't believe that she was really kissing Luke, and that he was an active participant of the kiss, had actually started the second one.

He turned them around and pressed her up against the counter when his tongue entered her mouth and his hand glided under her sweater. She moaned, pulled him closer, couldn't get him close enough.

Suddenly he pulled her away from the counter, walked them out of the kitchen, stopped to kiss her senseless by the desk, walked them to the stairs, pressed her up against the banister.

She threw his cap away and then jumped and slung her legs around his middle, made him moan.

"Upstairs", she muttered breathlessly, but they only made it up three stairs, then she found herself pressed up against the wall, squirming and moaning impatiently, while his hands roamed her body: one on her back, the other on her butt.

Lorelai was in heaven and she knew it would only get better, once they made it up the stairs and into their bedroom. And if they wouldn't be able to get upstairs… the stairs couldn't be that bad and the couch wasn't far either.

She started to unbutton his shirt, but didn't stop kissing him at the same time. She was halfway done with his shirt when he suddenly pulled back, dumped her back on the ground and stared at something.

Lorelai was confused and still panting when she turned around and found Lane standing in front of the stairs.

"Lane! Hi, hi. Wha. . .uh. . .we're just. . .what are. . .what are. . .what are you doing here?", she stuttered and understood now why Luke had turned different shades of red.

"I'm sorry, I was waiting for Rory. I'll just go back into her room and I won't come back out, I promise", Lane excused herself and ran back to Rory's room where she had come from. A second later music blasted from the room.

"Oh, that's The Cure. I have to go back in there", Lorelai said to Luke, a disappointed expression on her face.

"It's okay", he told her and looked to the floor, still red in the face. Lorelai stepped towards him and tipped his chin up, so he was looking at her.

"We're not done here Mister. I'll be back as fast as humanly possible", she said after kissing him gently.

"I'll finish the coffee in the meantime", he gave her a small smile and another kiss, before they broke apart and Lorelai made her way to her daughter's best friend with a sigh.

**TBC**


	18. Damn snow

**Another update from me today.. First Beach epiphany, now this story. I think "Backpacking Europe" will get an update as well today or tomorrow. I hope you check both stories out and I hope you'll like them. I also started a story called "Waxed" a few days ago, it has an M-rating for a reason.**

**Love all your pretty pretty reviews! Keep them coming!**

**Last thoughts for today, not story related: Men suck!**

* * *

**Chapter 18: Damn snow**

After Lorelai had talked to Lane and helped her with her „I touched a boy's hair"- crisis, she walked back out. In the kitchen the aroma of fresh coffee immediately surrounded her, but instead of grabbing herself a cup of her favourite beverage, she passed the pot without much more than a glance, before she walked into the living room where she found Luke on the couch.

"Is she okay?" Luke asked her when she sat down beside him.

"She touched a boy's hair without his permission and now she is ashamed. It'll be okay"; Lorelai reported and gave him a small smile.

"Why did she do that?" he asked confused and wrinkled his forehead, not understanding the motives of a teenage girl. Lorelai looked down to her hands for a second then looked up at him still with a smile, before she leaned in and kissed him gently.

"You really want to discuss this now?!" she teased him and raised her eyebrows. Luke looked at her and contemplated what he should do. He didn't want to discuss Lane's problem, but he would have liked to discuss them and what this meant.

Yet Lorelai's face was so close to his own, her arms slung around his neck and her upper-body pressed to his, while she was halfway sitting on his lap. Luke only had so much will power and he was a human being after all. So he just leaned in and kissed her again, still not really able to believe that he was kissing Lorelai Gilmore.

The kiss escalated quickly and within a minute Lorelai was lying on top of Luke, his hands under her pullover, his flannel- shirt on the floor. When she needed oxygen Lorelai pulled back, but started sucking on his neck when she felt his hands on her breasts and moaned.

This moan somehow brought Luke back into reality and pulled his hands away and lifted her slowly off of him by her shoulders.

"Luke", Lorelai whined and pouted, disappointed that he was stopping now.

"Lorelai we can't do this here", he told her, slightly out of breath as well.

"Why?" she protested and kissed him again, but again Luke pulled back.

"Because Lane is right there in Rory's room and could come out any second, not to speak of Rory who will come home now that the snow has stopped", he reasoned with her and sat up, as he tried to straighten his clothes.

"Lane is sulking and won't be out tonight, Rory will spend the night at her grandparents and we have a perfectly comfortable bed upstairs", she told him and started to smile when she said the last part.

"Lorelai I can't! Not when Lane is right there! If Mrs Kim finds out her daughter caught us making-out on the stairs we will never hear the end of it", he said and Lorelai sighed sadly.

"You'll sleep upstairs with me though, right?" she pouted.

"Lorelai what have I just….", he started but she interrupted him.

"I know I know… I mean sleeping next to me in our bed, nothing dirty involved", she clarified.

"Okay", he sighed, knowing that the night would kill him.

"Yay", she exclaimed and tackled him in a hug.

"Let's go upstairs", he sighed and untangled himself from her, but couldn't help himself from grinning when she hugged his arm on their way upstairs.

* * *

Luke was the first one to go into the bathroom and Lorelai used the time wisely to decide what to wear to bed that night. When he got out she hurried into the bathroom, kissing Luke soundly between the doorframe, leaving him stunned behind when she closed the door.

Luke flopped down on his side of the bed in his usual sweatpants and T-shirt and waited nervously for Lorelai to come back. No matter what he had said downstairs he knew that this particular night would be hard, lying in the same bed as her after the kisses they had shared.

When she came back he could only stare at her, because she wore a silky, black negligee and he thought his eyes would fall out. With an innocent smile she got into the bed, after closing and locking the door, and snuggled close to him.

"Lorelai", he said in a strained voice, sounding like she was torturing him…, which in a way she was.

"Just sleeping in the same bed Luke, remember?!" she grinned at him and slung her left leg over his legs, stroked up and down his leg with her foot.

"Wicked woman" he hissed when he snapped and he rolled her over, kissed her passionately and let his hands wander under the negligee. He found her breasts again and massaged them. Lorelai moaned and buried her face in his neck, sucked at his skin and took his shirt off of him, before he knew what had happened.

Her fingers glided through his chest hair and this time she made him moan with her caresses. Lorelai kissed down his neck to his chest and pressed random kisses on his skin.

When she reached his navel and hooked her fingers in his waistband he placed his hands on her hands and stopped her.

"What?" she asked and looked up at him.

"I told you we couldn't do this", he replied and pulled her up into his arms.

"What? You're kidding right? A few seconds ago you had your hands on my breast and now you're telling me we can't do this?" she asked him.

"It wasn't me who came in here in a black negligee", he told her and gave her a pointed look.

"That would have been a sight for sore eyes", she deadpanned, but he just shook his head. "Luuuke, now we are all hot and bothered", she whined and dropped her head to his chest.

"And that is different how from all the other times you practically lay on top of me?" he asked her with raised eye-brows.

"Don't tease me like that", she said and swatted his chest.

"I'm not the one who is teasing"; he said and let his index finger glide over the fabric of her negligee on her back.

"Mhpf", she made and laid her head on his chest. "You are so going to pay for this", she muttered, her face pressed to his naked chest.

"I'm looking forward to it", he chuckled and placed a kiss on her forehead and switched off the light.

* * *

The next morning Lorelai felt more relaxed than she had been in weeks. She snuggled closer to her warm and comfortable pillow- until it moved. She opened her eyes and found that Luke was trying to untangle from her so he could get out of bed.

"Where do you think you're going?" she muttered and hugged him even tighter.

"I have to get up and help Cesar with the eight o'clock crowd", he told her and placed a kiss on her hair.

"No, stay", she said and pressed her lips against his chest.

"Lorelai I have to get up", he said again and again she made a strange noise. "I'll make you coffee", he sighed.

"Get out of bed and hurry Mister!" she said and pushed him away immediately.

"Don't I feel the love", he muttered and grabbed his shirt and put it on.

"Mmmh", she just made and waved him off.

"Get up, or you won't get coffee", he told her and she gasped.

"Evil man!" she yelled.

"Rory's coming home", he remarked dryly when he saw through the window that a car was pulling up in the driveway.

"My baby", she squealed and jumped out of the bed and ran downstairs, leaving Luke in her dust.

"Jeez", he just sighed and followed her downstairs. He found her hugging Rory so hard, that the poor teen could barely breathe.

"Don't kill her", Luke told her when he passed them and walked into the kitchen.

"But my baby is back. My pretty, precious girl", Lorelai gushed and hugged Rory harder.

"Okay, what did you smoke?" her daughter asked her when she came up for air after getting out of her mother's grasp.

"Don't insult mommy", Lorelai pouted exaggeratedly.

"Why are you so happy and giddy at this time of the morning?" Rory asked her mother and eyed her suspiciously.

"Max was here and then we kissed", Lorelai said and Rory froze.

"You kissed Mister Medina?" she asked shocked.

"No! Luke! Luke and I … we kissed", Lorelai squealed again and a "Jeez" could be heard from the kitchen.

"Aw, that's so great! I'm so happy", Rory said and hugged her mother, then ran off to the kitchen and hugged Luke.

"Hey, get your hands off! He's mine! You have the bag boy", Lorelai complained and pulled her daughter away from Luke and slung her arms around his waist.

"Is my coffee ready yet?" she asked and looked up to him.

"In a minute. I'm going upstairs to get ready for work", he said, he took her arms and got out of her grasp and then made his way upstairs. He was just through the kitchen door when Rory's room door opened and Lane stepped out.

"What's with the noise here?" she asked sleepily and rubbed her eyes.

"Mom and Luke kissed", Rory exclaimed.

"Don't I know it", Lane deadpanned, and then all three women started to squeal.

"Ah Jeez", Luke muttered once again but couldn't help but smile.

* * *

The diner was full of people and had been crowded all day, but Luke couldn't help but be in a good mood. He smiled and once he even made a joke and shocked Kirk with it. Since she had seen him smiling in the morning the two gossip queens had gathered in the diner and ordered one coffee or milkshake after the other, but Luke didn't even notice that he was being observed.

"Luke, dear, could you come over here for a second?" Miss Patty waved him over to their table in the late afternoon.

"What? Another milkshake?" he asked and took his order-pad

"No, just tell us why you're smiling all day long! The suspense is killing me!" Babette said in that loud and raspy voice of hers.

"What? I am not…" he trailed of when the telephone rang and left the table.

"Luke's", he answered, hoping it would be Lorelai, because she hadn't been in all day.

"Luke, it's me. Could you grab some Tylenol and Ginger Ale before you come home? Mom is really sick", Rory informed him.

"What? What's wrong with her?" he asked concerned.

"She caught a cold. She has a sore throat, she is coughing and she keeps throwing up", Rory replied.

"Ok, make her some tea and try not to burn down the kitchen when you're heating up the water. I'll be home in a few minutes", Luke replied and hung up.

"Cesar, I have to go. Close up when your shift is over", he yelled into the kitchen and then hurried out the door. He stopped at the pharmacy and at Dosey's and then hurried home.

Damn snow. He had known it right away that the walk in the cold hadn't been a good idea because she would get sick.

**TBC**


	19. Feeling better

**Thank you all so much for the reviews, I really really appreciate them and I think I don't say it enough.**

**Again (as always) thanks to my beta Sarah**

**And I want to point out again that the first three chapters of the JavaJunkie Fanfiction Project are online. You can find the link in my profile. We also installed a mailing list now, so subscribe and you'll get an alert whenever we update**

* * *

**Chapter 19: Feeling better**

„You shouldn't see me like this", Lorelai said with a raspy voice when Luke entered their bedroom. She ducked under the cover and groaned in embarrassment. Rory who was sitting next to her mother on the bed got up.

"I better leave you alone", she told Luke and gave him a smile. Luke smiled back and shook his head slightly when he saw the lump under the blanket. He put the bag with the medicine on the night table and sat down where Rory had sat before, tugged at the blanket and pulled it down, so her head looked out. She looked at him and pouted and he had to smile at that. He laid a hand on her cheek to check for fever and placed a kiss on her forehead.

"You already took your temperature?" he asked her.

"No", she replied.

"Do you have a thermometer?" he wanted to know, doubting that she would even posses something like this.

"In the bathroom, medicine cabinet", she replied and threw the covers completely off of her. Luke welcomed the opportunity and took her right foot in his hands for a second.

"You've got cold feet, stay under the covers", he said and tucked her in.

"No, it's so hot in here", she protested, but he just wrapped the covers more tightly around her.

"You've got cold feet and I don't want you to get even more sick", he lectured her and went into the bathroom. He found the thermometer in the medicine cabinet, just like she had told him, between her pills and a box of condoms. He hurried back to her and handed her the thermometer which she stuck under her armpit.

"You shouldn't keep the condoms and the pills in the cabinet in the bathroom", he said and sat back down next to her. He took the paper bag from the nightstand and took the several medicine bottles out to take a look at the instructions on how to take them.

"Why not?" she asked and tried to raise her eye brows, but was too exhausted to do it.

"It's weird. When Rory needs a band-aid she'll see … that. It's just… weird", he said and blushed.

"Well, it's not like we had sex yet", she had to smile at him, because he was so cute when he was embarrassed.

"She doesn't know that. She'll assume and then it'll be…."

"Weird", she finished and laughed, which ended in a coughing fit. Luke patted her back and tried to calm her.

"You ok?" he asked when she stopped coughing.

"Yeah, as ok as you can be when you're sick", she mumbled and let herself slide further down on the bed.

"You'll be just fine. Just drink your tea, take you're medicine and you'll feel better in no time", he reassured her and took the thermometer from her when it beeped.

"You're temperature is a bit high, but no fever", he informed her.

"Will you be my nurse?" she asked and even with her hoarse voice it was obvious that she was teasing him.

"I'll look after you", he told her and rolled his eyes.

"Can I call you nurse Luke?" she smiled.

"I'm male", he played along.

"Then can I call you Doctor Danes?"

"Can you just shut up?" he replied, but kissed her forehead once again.

"Mhpf", she replied and closed her eyes.

"You should take some medicine and then go to sleep. I'll be downstairs making you some soup", he said and handed her two pills and fed her a spoon of medicine.

"Urgh", she groaned after swallowing it and scrunched up her face.

"You'll live", he just laughed and got off the bed. He adjusted the blanket over her and pulled it back for a second. That's when he realized what she was wearing.

"You're still in your work clothes, that's not comfortable and your blouse will be wrinkled all over", he said.

"I'm too exhausted to change", she protested weakly.

"Come on. I'll get you your clothes", he encouraged her. He walked to her dresser and rummaged through it. "This is insane! No person needs this many clothes. You could wear a different outfit every day for the rest of your life and you still wouldn't have worn all the stuff in there. There are at least fifty pair of jeans and thousands of tops. Jeez, there are at least fifty blue tops in here. You know how much money you actually wasted on that crap?" he ranted and she just shrugged.

"Open the drawer on the bottom", she instructed and grinned when she saw his face after he opened it. "Not that much wasted money anymore, huh?" she grinned while he stared at the various lingerie in the drawer. "And I bet you like the different colors. Just tell me: With or without lace? Which one do you like better?" she teased him further. Luke just shook his head, closed the drawer again and finally found a T-shirt and some shorts for her to wear.

"Help me?" she pouted when he handed her the clothes and she raised her arms.

"You're feeling good enough to tease me so you can change yourself", he decided. "I'll be downstairs", and with that he left the room and a still pouting Lorelai.

* * *

Downstairs he first cleaned up the living-room, where Lorelai had thrown her purse, her shoes and several folders with paper-work from the Inn and then washed the dishes in the kitchen and used the vacuum cleaner. He had to change the bag inside first and by the smell of it the machine hadn't been used in a long time. 

When he was done he started cooking the meat for the soup, chopped the vegetables and read the newspaper while the soup was cooking. He had just turned off the stove when he heard a crash upstairs and he hurried up to Lorelai.

He found her hunched over the toilet, throwing up and all the contents of the shelf by the door were scattered all over the floor.

Immediately he hurried to her side and held back her hair until she was finished.

"God, this is so embarrassing", she muttered and leaned back against the bathtub.

"Why?" he asked confused, not understanding why this was embarrassing.

"Because in general when you start a relationship you go out together and dress up and wear fancy clothes and make up. You don't lie sick in bed and let your new boyfriend watch you throw up", she said and wiped a tear away which had escaped from her eye.

"Hey", Luke said gently and pulled her towards him, hugging her and placed a kiss in her hair.

"I'm not crying. It's just from throwing up", she mumbled in his shoulder and he gave her shoulders a squeeze.

"You want to clean your mouth?" he asked her and pulled back.

"I think I'm gonna brush my teeth", she sighed and he helped her get up off the floor.

"What happened to the shelf?" he asked and started to pick up the things.

"I felt dizzy when I ran in here and crashed into the shelf", she explained, her mouth full of foam.

"You hurt yourself?" he asked and looked up while putting the body lotion back on the shelf.

"Nah, I'm fine", she said and rinsed her mouth with water.

"Okay, then let's get you back to bed. The soup is ready, you should eat something", he said and helped her out the bathroom, because she still felt dizzy.

"You just witnessed this throwing up fiasco, right?" she asked and plopped back down on the bed.

"Then drink something at least. You need to stay hydrated. What do you want? Coke? Ginger Ale? Tea?" he asked.

"Coffee?"

"No way", he shook his head.

"Then bring me some Coke, I need caffeine", she replied and lifted her legs up onto the bed.

"'kay, I'll be right back", he said and went downstairs.

Lorelai watched him leave the room and sighed. This was not how it was supposed to be. They were supposed to go out, make out and act like love sick teenagers. She wasn't supposed to lie sick in bed and he wasn't supposed to play nurse for her.

She gave him a sad smile when he came back into the room.

"What's wrong?" he asked her when he saw the look on her face.

"This is the beginning of a relationship", she told him and he nodded.

"You're supposed to act stupid", she continued.

"I'm bringing you coke, isn't that stupid enough?" he asked her and handed her the glass.

"No, you're supposed to do something different… something other than nursing your sick girlfriend back to health", she pouted.

"I'll do the chicken dance later", he remarked dryly.

"Good", she said and gave him a small smile, then took a sip of her coke.

"Why don't you try and sleep for a while?" he proposed.

"I did try and I couldn't."

"Why not?"

"Can't sleep anymore when you're not next to me", she shrugged and blushed.

"Okay, I got it", he sighed, slipped of his shoes and lay down on his side of the bed, on top of the covers, then held out his arm for her to snuggle up to him. With a heavy sigh she laid her head on his chest.

"So much better", she smiled and nuzzled his neck with her nose.

"Do you mind if I watch some baseball?" he asked her and played with her hair.

"No", she muttered already half asleep.

"Okay", he whispered and turned on the TV with the remote.

* * *

It was late in the evening when Lorelai decided that she was finally hungry. She had thrown up several times and had slept in between, snuggled up to Luke, who looked out for her the whole time. 

He brought her some soup and stayed by her side while she ate it.

"Don't you need to get back and close the diner?" she asked him.

"I called Cesar while you were sleeping, he's closing", he said.

"You're too good to me", she sighed.

"Don't I know it", he grinned and she swatted his arm. "Eat your soup", he just said and got of the bed and stretched.

"You're tired?" she asked him with her mouth full and some dripped out onto her chin.

"Now that was sexy", he rolled his eyes.

"Shush you. You saw me throwing up, how much worse can it get?" she shrugged.

"And yes I'm tired. We should go to sleep when you're done".

"I'm not tired anymore. Actually I'm pretty hyped up", she grinned.

"Oh no. I knew all the Coke couldn't be good", he muttered.

"We should play something. Or watch a movie. We could have a movie marathon with some theme", she said excitedly.

"The only thing we should do is sleep and that's it. No games, no movie marathon", he refused and shook his head.

"But Luke I feel better now".

"Yes, because the medicine is doing its job. Wait until it wears off then you're sick again", he told her and opened the closet to get his clothes out.

"Not true, I'm feeling better".

"Lorelai, you caught the flu. And the flu isn't gone within a day. It will take at least three days until you can get out of bed and another three days until you're fully recovered". He closed the closet again, his T-shirt and sweatpants now in his hand.

"I think all the caffeine is speeding up the recovery process", she told him and put the empty bowl down on the nightstand.

"That's impossible, even for you" he said and then walked into the bathroom and closed the door behind him. He took of his socks and threw them into the laundry basket, then unbuckled his belt and unzipped his jeans, which he threw into the basket as well. Then he got out of his flannel shirt and his T-shirt and threw them so they joined the rest of his clothes.

"Jeez", he yelled when suddenly the door opened. He grabbed the first thing that came into his hands, which was Lorelai's large Power Puff Girls towel and tried to cover himself up.

"Cute", Lorelai giggled when she saw him with the pink towel and closed the door behind her.

"Jesus, what do you want in here? By the smile on your face I doubt you're sick again", he asked.

"No I'm not, but I figured out what to do with all my pent up energy".

"What? Scare me half to death?"

"No, I'm taking a nice hot bubble bath as long as I don't feel like I have to throw up any time in the near future", she grinned and started to fill the tub with water.

"You can't take a bath, you're running a fever", he said and shut of the water.

"I don't have a fever, you said so yourself and I feel like a bath"; she said and started the water again.

"Do as you like", he shrugged unnerved and took his toothbrush. He put the toothpaste on and started brushing his teeth, the towel now thrown over the towel rack. When she started undressing though, he stopped.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"Uhm, singing yaya yippie yippie yay?" she shot back.

"Keep your clothes on until I'm done", he grumbled.

"Says the man who is currently only wearing his boxers", she grinned, stuck a finger in his waistband and let it snap against his skin.

"Ow", he complained and shook his head when she kept undressing herself. As fast as he could he finished brushing his teeth and just wanted to leave the bathroom when she stopped him by grabbing his hand.

"Like what you see?" she asked him when he looked at her and she was completely naked.

"Lorelai", he said in a strained voice, "You know we can't have… we can't do…. We just can't while you're ill".

"True, but we could have a nice and relaxing bath together", she pouted.

"You think that's a good idea?"

"I think that's a really good idea", she nodded enthusiastically. Luke looked down, took her in and sighed again.

"You'll be the death of me", he said then and helped her into the tub, before he locked the door and got in after getting rid of his boxers.

Comfortably they spent the next half hour in the tub, holding hands, washing each other, but paying attention that they wouldn't get too worked up, knowing they couldn't finish it while Lorelai was ill.

By the time the water got cold Lorelai was half asleep. She was lying on top of Luke, her head on his shoulder, her eyes closed. Carefully he got her out of the bathtub and rubbed her dry before he wrapped her in her bathrobe and lay her on the bed. He got himself ready and got into bed as well, tucking her in one more time.

She rolled over when she felt his weight on the mattress and got into her usual sleeping position: Her head on his chest, her left leg thrown over his legs, a death grip on his shirt.

* * *

He awoke in the middle of the night by some strange sounds. He found Lorelai next to him, sweaty, as white as a sheet and mumbling in her sleep. He touched her forehead and found her burning up. With a growl he got out of bed and went into the bathroom to get towels and cold water. 

He hated being sick, but seeing Lorelai sick he hated even more

**TBC**


	20. Banana toast

**So, to celebrate chapter 20 I decided to make this "a bit" longer than the rest, I hope you will read it and not skip it because of that.**

**Second: To all the authors who are reading this: Please join the resistance and don't start any polls in your story, no matter if it's about baby names or whole plotlines. Please, please don't do it. Ask your friends when your stuck with a story, ask other authors, watch the old episodes and let them inspire you, but please don't let polls ruin the readers trust in you, because it shows that you have no idea what you're doing with a story.**

**Third: If anyone needs new ideas for JJ stories contact me, because I have more ideas at the moment than time to write, which is driving me nuts.**

**Fourth: This is back to the original way the story started. There will be more of my own stuff to come, but I decided to keep it that way in this chapter.**

**Last thing: Dialogues borrowed from episode 1.09: Rory's Dance**

* * *

**Chapter 20: Banana toast**

Luke had been right: It took Lorelai exactly six days to be completely healthy again, but what he hadn't known was that it would take him exactly eight days to catch the flu as well. Now the roles were reversed and Lorelai tried to be an equally good nurse to him like he had been for her. Yet her lack in the cooking skills department made that impossible and she tried to make up for the lack of self made food by ordering Sookie's food and giving him extended back-rubs. She had attended one Friday night dinner with Rory as her only backup against the Gilmores and of course it had been a disaster when Emily focused on the issue why Rory didn't want to go to her school dance, a dance Lorelai didn't know anything about.She had convinced her daughter to go in the end and that her boyfriend Dean would go with her helped the matter also.

While Luke was upstairs in bed the afternoon of the dance, Lorelai was downstairs working on Rory's dress which still had to get finished.

With her mind on her sick boyfriend upstairs Lorelai wasn't really paying attention to her own sitting position, which caused her to topple over, fall backwards on the floor while bring the dressmaker's dummy down with her which landed directly on top of her.

„Aaaah!" she yelled and then groaned when she felt pain in her back, just when the doorbell rang. Slowly she got up and made her way to the door, knowing it would be Sookie with the food.

„Jeez, you're walking funny", Sookie said when Lorelai led the way into the kitchen. Sookie put the several food containers on the table and took the lids of, so Lorelai could see what her friend had brought. Besides two different soups Sookie had made some stew and rice and fruit salad as desert.

„I know. Rory's dress made a pass at me and I think I pulled something getting up", Lorelai responded and took two plates out of the cupboard, flinching when she had to stretch. "Ow", she groaned.

"Here, sit, sit sit. Hey, you know what, I've got an Ace bandage in my bag. I'm not sure how we can wrap it but maybe we can do something kind of creative and…" Sookie started rambling and Lorelai stopped her when she touched her back.

„Sookie. Ow", she complained.

„Let's see", Sookie shrugged and pulled several bottles of pills out of her purse. "OK, I've got Percodan, Vicodint, Darvocet, and, uh...Take this one. It's a muscle relaxer. Very mild, I promise".

„Thanks. Maybe later", Lorelai said and pushed the several bottles away from her.

"OK. I've got to go. I'll bring the food upstairs and then I'm gone. You sure you're going to be OK?" Sookie asked.

"I'm sure", Lorelai nodded and tried not to let the nodding affect the muscles in her back too much. Her friend rushed around in the kitchen, grabbed a bowl and filled it with soup, then took a spoon and threw it in the bowl.

„OK. Store the food in the fridge once it's cold. Bye," she said and hurried upstairs to bring Luke a bowl of soup and then left the house a few seconds later. The door had just closed when the phone rang. With another groan of pain Lorelai got up, went into the living room and answered the phone.

„Yeah", she muttered, because she couldn't open her mouth too much because the throbbing pain in her back made her grit her teeth.

„You sound terrible", she heard her mother's voice and had to stifle another groan.

"I'm fine, Mom, I just stubbed my toe", she lied.

"Maybe you should get rid of some of that clutter in your living room. I always wonder how Luke can stand it. That room is a hazard."

„Ah, you know, I've seen the light. Everything goes. What else have you got?" Lorelai changed the topic.

„I want to talk about Rory's dance. It's just killing me that she's not going," Emily said.

„Uh-huh"

„It may seem frivolous and silly to her now but believe me, these are the kind of experiences you regret missing later. And regret can make you bitter. Do you want Rory to be bitter?" Emily asked.

„Well, sort of", Lorelai said.

„Lorelai",Emily sighed.

„What, Mom? She can make some cash off of it. Become a crazy Oscar Levant kind of celebrity, go on talk shows, heckle Regis", Lorelai joked.

„I wish you would take this seriously", Emily said annoyed.

„Mom, Rory is going to the dance", Lorelai finally told her.

„Oh, that's wonderful. I'm thrilled", Emily gushed.

„I'm making her dress right now", Lorelai said truthfully and regretted it a second later.

„You're making her dress?"

„Yep."

"But why? Is Luke refusing to give you the money?" Emily suspected.

"Yes, he took all my rights away concerning my own money and has us now locked up in here without money or electricity," Lorelai nodded.

"Why don't you let me buy her a dress?" Emily asked, ignoring Lorelai's babbling about Luke.

„Mom, you were thrilled five seconds ago, remember?"

„You're not using the curtains are you?" Emily asked.

„No, Luke's old flannel boxer shorts", Lorelai replied and rolled her eyes.

"Just one more thing. Take a picture of Rory for me, will you please?"

"I will," Lorelai replied while laying down on the floor to search for a comfortable position.

"On the stairs. And one by the front door. And one as she's getting ready, you know, putting her hair up, putting her makeup on?"

„OK, do you want one when she's shaving her legs? You know, one leg up in the tub, waving the disposable razor in the air?"

„This is a once in a lifetime event. You get to be there and I don't. I figure if I got enough pictures I could at least line them up in chronological order and pretend I was there," Emily said and Lorelai sighed, knowing what her mother was hinting at, in her oh so subtle way.

„Mom", she said, but Emily wasn't finished yet.

"Maybe bind them together, make a flipbook out of them", she said.

"Mom, would you like to come over and see Rory go to the dance?" Lorelai finally asked.

"Why, what a nice idea, I'd love that, thank you. I'll see you at 7", Emily said and hung up.

"Emily is coming over?" Luke suddenly asked when he slowly came down the stairs. His hair was sticking up in all directions; he was pale and looked tired.

"Yeah, she wants to see Rory in her dress", Lorelai said and looked up at him. "What are you doing down here, hon'?" she asked him. Luke just grunted in response and then plopped down on the couch, looking at her in confusion.

"What are you doing on the floor?" he asked her, his forehead wrinkled while he scratched the back of his head. Lorelai had to smile, in spite of her pain, because he looked just adorable.

"The dummy attacked me and I strained my back", she told him and slowly sat up because she didn't want to worry him. "It's not that bad", she said.

"I know you're lying, I can see it in your eyes, but my head hurts too much to fight with you. Tell me when you need something", he said and leaned his head against the back of the couch. Lorelai got up from the floor with a groan and walked over to him, touched by his concern and lay her hand against his forehead.

"You're still running a fever, you should go back to bed", she told him and smoothed his hair.

"I'm bored up there all alone", he muttered.

"Oh babe, you're half asleep and I can't carry you up the stairs now that I hurt my back. You know, in general it wouldn't be a problem, I would just throw you over my shoulder like a sack of potatoes, but now…", she smiled and shrugged.

"Mmh, okay", Luke replied, his eyes closed.

"Come on, babe, go back upstairs. I'll join you later when I have the dress ready and then we can eat together. Sound good?" she asked him and tried to pull him up.

"Mmmh", Luke just made, but finally got up, swayed a bit and let Lorelai lead him to the stairs.

"Go to bed and sleep a bit", she told him and pressed a kiss on his cheek, before he trudged back up the stairs.

* * *

After she had finished the dress, she had joined Luke upstairs for a while. They ate the food together which Sookie had brought after Lorelai had heated it up again. They had relaxed for a while and Lorelai had tried to ignore the pain in her back. 

When Rory had come home from school the preparations for the dance had started, which Lorelai had done mostly by sitting on the couch. Sookie had shown up and had tried to help her and Rory, but had ended up spraying hairspray into her eyes. While Rory was taking care of Sookie the doorbell rang and Lorelai, knowing that it was her mother, was in too much pain to get up and open the door and Luke, who sat on the other end of the couch was nearly asleep again.

"We're in here!" she just yelled, knowing the door was unlocked.

"We're in here? That's how you answer the door?", Emily lectured her when she came into the living room a few seconds later.

"Well I was all out of Saran Wrap".

"I don't even want to figure that one out. I just want to see my grand daughter. Where is she?" Emily asked and didn't even seem to realise that Luke was sitting in his jogging pants and a grey shirt on the couch.

„Kitchen", Lorelai informed her.

„Oh, perfect. I want to be all ready for the big entrance. How's the light in here? Never mind. I'll just take one with the flash and one without to make sure we get it right", Emily said fervently.

"No flash", Luke muttered and tried to open his eyes.

"Wow, Mom, look at you. You'd think Anne Taylor was having a sale or something", Lorelai distracted Emily so she wouldn't reply to Luke.

„OK, Rory, come in here please", Emily yelled and Luke flinched.

„Hey, Grandma," Rory said when she entered the living room, a towel around her neck and a taco in her hands.

„She has lived with you too long", Emily said to Lorelai and gave Luke a glance, wondering what was wrong with him.

„Honey, lose the bib and the taco, put your shoes on, come back out, and let Grandma take the pretty picture", Lorelai told Rory and the girl nodded and went back to her room.

"Call me if I can come over and help you and Luke up the stairs or something". Sookie said and emerged from the kitchen. She waved at Lorelai and Luke, nearly crushed into a lamp and then left the house.

„Why would you two need help up the stairs?" Emily asked as soon as the door closed.

„No reason. Rory, let's go, your public awaits!" Lorelai tried to distract her mother.

"Why aren't you moving?" she asked Lorelai. "And why are you as white as a sheet?" she turned to Luke.

"Flu", Luke said with his raspy voice and Lorelai squeezed his hand sympathetically because he really sounded horrible.

"Poor thing", she told Luke and then faced her mother again. "I'm comfortable, that's all", she lied.

"Are you hurt?" Emily asked and narrowed her eyes at her daughter.

"I have a little back spasm, that's it. It's no big deal", Lorelai tried to calm her.

„What sort of back spasm?" her mother questioned further, not satisfied with the answer.

„I don't know, Mom, just a normal one".

„There is nothing normal about a back spasm. The very fact that it has the word spasm in it means it's not normal", Luke interfered, a little more awake now and earned himself a death stare from Lorelai.

„Alright, here she is, Mom, get your camera moving", Lorelai said when Rory entered the room, while she was still glaring at Luke.

After Emily took her several pictures of Rory the doorbell rang and Dean came to pick up Rory. This time though he had not only to get past Luke, but also past Emily, who made Rory wait to greet him until he rang the doorbell and stopped honking.

Dean knew that Luke had caught a cold, but for that made him even more dangerous because he was unpredictable while running a fever.

Yet while Luke only glared at him and grunted a few times when he said something Emily was plain out hostile and lectured him as soon as he set a foot in the house. He was glad when they were finally allowed to leave and he could get away from them with Rory by his side.

"What are you going to do?" Emily asked Lorelai when the three of them were alone.

„What do you mean?" Luke asked her and sat up, stretching his aching muscles.

"Well you certainly can't be left alone", Emily stated and pointed to the two on the couch. Lorelai was half sitting half lying, not really able to move and Luke looked feverish.

„Yes we can", Lorelai disagreed.

„You can barely move. You've been sitting on that couch since I got here. And Luke looks like he needs a doctor and some antibiotics".

„That's because this is a right comfy couch and Luke has his medicine upstairs, he just refuses to take it", Lorelai said.

"Luke, you really should take your medicine", Emily lectured him.

"No. It's not that bad. No medicine", he groaned annoyed.

"Maybe I should stay", Emily wondered.

"No, no, Mom, you really don't have to do that", Lorelai immediately said.

"I'm not leaving my daughter stranded on the couch. What if you need to get to the bathroom?" Emily asked her.

„I don't go anymore, Mom. I gave it up cold turkey", Lorelai replied.

"And Luke certainly needs his medication and someone to look after him. You're both sick. I'm staying", Emily decided.

"No, Mom...Look -- I can stand, OK? I can look after Luke, I did all week, see!" Lorelai said and tried slowly to stand. „See? I'm up. OK, see? I'm fine", she said when she succeeded.

„Move", Emily ordered.

"What?"

"Move. If you're fine, then move".

"I can move. This is me moving." Lorelai said, but stood still. "Any second now the moving will begin," she said, but she just couldn't move. "Rats," she cursed and sat back down on the couch.

"I'll go start some tea. Please tell me you have something besides Lipton. But first I am gonna get Luke's medication and a thermometer so I can see for myself how bad it is", Emily said and walked up the stairs.

"You don't even know where the stuff is", Lorelai yelled after her.

"I guess even you have a medicine cabinet", Emily yelled back and marched into the bathroom upstairs.

"I guess you didn't take the birth control pills and the condoms out of the cabinet?!" Luke said and raised his eyebrows. "Great", he muttered when Lorelai just smiled apologetically.

* * *

"Yes, Marta. Just make sure everything's locked up before you leave. No, I won't be home tonight", Emily said to her maid on the phone a while later. Luke groaned, not thrilled by the prospect of having Emily around until the next day. She had already forced him to take the medicine twice and he had to change his shirt in front of her, because she insisted that it wasn't good to wear the same clothes all day while you're sick. 

"Was that a pain?" she asked him.

"Yes", he muttered annoyed and signalized Lorelai to do something.

"So, Mom, you really, really don't have to do this", Lorelai tried again to get her mother to leave.

„Don't be silly. I couldn't possibly leave you alone like this", Emily dismissed it and put the phone back on the base. Then she started walking around the living room, opened the closet in the entryway.

"What the hell is she doing?" Luke hissed at Lorelai.

"How should I know?" she shrugged. "What are you doing, Mom?" she asked then.

„I'm trying to find the candlesticks I bought you", she replied.

„What candlesticks?" Luke asked confused and couldn't remember having seen candlesticks in the house.

"The Baccarat candlesticks I bought you last year for Christmas. I assumed you stuffed them in the back of the closet somewhere", Emily said.

"Uh, well, no, I did not stuff them in the back of the closet", Lorelai told her mother and Luke raised his eyebrows.

„Well then where are they? I don't see them out".

„Well, see, we didn't actually have a...big use for the crystal candlesticks so I kind of...exchanged them", Lorelai admitted and Luke raised his eyebrows further.

„For what?" his future mother-in law asked.

"A monkey lamp", Lorelai said and Luke started to chuckle, because he knew the lamp and he could guess what Emily's reaction what be.

"Pardon me?"

"It's a lamp with a bunch of monkeys on it", Lorelai said.

"Baccarat candlesticks for a monkey lamp?"

„They're really, really happy monkeys, Mom"

„Where is this lamp? I want to see it", Emily insisted.

"Oh my". Luke chuckled still and Lorelai pinched his leg.

„It's right there on the desk", she informed her mother, while Luke rubbed his leg.

„Oh my God! They're holding coconuts and leering", Emily exclaimed.

„It's funny", Lorelai told her.

„You traded my lovely gift for for a semi-pornographic leering monkey lamp? How could you?" Emily asked her daughter, but Lorelai just shrugged. "This is not just about the bad breeding of returning a gift. This goes right to the heart of the question of taste. You were given something of substance and you cast it off for a ridiculous, slightly sinister barroom decoration. Explain this to me, Lorelai", Emily requested and Lorelai looked helplessly at Luke, who just shrugged and pointed to his leg, refusing to help her.

„My back hurts", she finally said and pouted while Luke just grinned.

"And you didn't do anything to stop her. I hope you make sure she won't trade our wedding gift to you for something equally despicable", Emily turned to Luke and wiped the smile of his face.

* * *

Another hour later Emily insisted to make the two of them something to eat. 

"Does your mother even know how to cook?" Luke asked Lorelai while Emily was in the kitchen.

"Where do you think I got my amazing cooking skills from?" Lorelai replied.

"I should go and check on her before she burns down the kitchen", Luke sighed and tried to untangle his legs from Lorelai's so he could get off.

"Maybe I should go and check, she's my mother", Lorelai said.

"That would calm me down. I told you you're not allowed anywhere near the stove anymore", he said.

"I didn't know that you were supposed to take that plastic wrapper off before cooking it. You never told me", she tried to defend herself.

"Sometimes I wonder how you managed to not burn down this house all those years", he shook his head and finally got off the couch when Emily came back with two plates in her hand.

"There you go", she said and Luke obediently sat back down.

„Mom, I think somebody already ate that", Lorelai said when she saw what was on the plate.

"What is this?" Luke asked with a disgusted expression.

„That is a mashed banana on toast", Emily replied.

„OK", Luke slowly nodded, but his facial expression didn't change.

„I used to make this for you all the time when you were a little girl", Emily said to Lorelai.

„You did?" Lorelai asked surprised.

"Yes, whenever you got sick I made this, " Emily nodded.

"Okay, now I know where you got your iron stomach from", Luke couldn't stop himself.

"Are you sure it wasn't the other way around?" Lorelai asked and tried to hide her smile about Luke's comment.

„You don't want it", Emily stated and sounded disappointed.

"No, no, I want it", Lorelai said, because she felt sorry for her mother.

"I really don't want it", Luke said though, as subtle as always.

"I'll just take it back to the kitchen", Emily sighed.

"No, Mom, I said I want it," Lorelai insisted.

„Are you sure? Because I can throw it away", her mother asked.

"She eats more disgusting things than this, believe me", Luke said.

„Relinquish the banana, please. Mmm", Lorelai said and glared at Luke.

„And you should take another one of those pills, it seems like the fever is a bit down since you took them", Emily turned to Luke and Lorelai grinned, because now he had to suffer as well.

„You're not eating", Luke just grinned at her and Lorelai's grin vanished, because now he had the upper hand again.

"Mom?" she turned to her mother.

"Yes?"

"Please don't make me eat this", she begged.

"You have to eat something", Emily insisted.

"Well, Sookie left us burritos in the fridge", Lorelai informed her and Emily sighed.

"I'll go warm it up for you. I'll be right back"; she said and went back into the kitchen.

"If you do that again you will so sleep on the couch tonight and the Nurse Lorelai late night visits in that skimpy dress are so over my friend!" Lorelai hissed at Luke when Emily was gone.

"What? You eat disgusting stuff all the time", he shrugged.

"Oh don't play innocent bucko!" she warned him and then turned her attention back to the TV.

* * *

Later that night when Emily had tasted her own creation and discovered that it really was disgusting, Luke and Lorelai were both asleep on that small couch. Luke had pulled Lorelai against his chest while watching TV and they had both been asleep in no time. Emily had decided to tidy the living room up and took the remote out of Lorelai's hand. 

„What are you doing?" Lorelai asked her mother, but didn't open her eyes.

"Go to sleep", Emily told her softly.

"The movie's not over", Lorelai complained.

"You know how it ends", muttered Luke and pressed a kiss to her forehead, while Emily spread a blanket over the two of them.

„Thank you, Mommy", Lorelai muttered and snuggled closer to Luke while Emily watched them with a content smile. Seeing them like this she knew that she had done the right thing by forcing them to get married. And that Luke was a very rich man, having inherited the fortune of his grand parents was a very nice thing as well. If not even nicer than the childish dream of two teenage girls, that their kids would get married one day.

With that thought and a slight smile on her face Emily sat down in a chair and started to read, waiting for Rory to get home.

* * *

The next morning, actually really early in the morning, Luke shook Lorelai awake. 

„Lorelai! Get up. Rory's not home!" he told her softly, worried himself where Rory could possibly be.

"Rory's what?" Lorelai asked sleepily.

"I sat in that chair all night and I dozed off for one second and the next thing I know it's 5:30 and she's not here", Emily suddenly yelled.

„Rory?" Lorelai called her daughter, while getting off the couch and wandering in to her daughter's room.

"She's not there. Aren't you listening?" Emily yelled.

"Rory? Rory?" Lorelai called, panic evident in her voice.

"Where's the phone? Call the police", Emily requested and both Lorelai and she looked around the room for the phone.

"Call the police! Call the police!" Emily requested again.

"Stop it! Both of you" Luke suddenly yelled at the two hysteric women and held the phone in his hands. He had just typed a few numbers when it suddenly started ringing. Lorelai ran over to him and snatched it out of his hands and answered it.

„Rory? Oh, Patty. What? OK. Thanks. No, than you so much. OK Bye-bye.", she said and hung up the phone. "Rory's OK", she said then. She went over to Luke and they shared a quick hug, both relieved beyond words.

"Where is she? What happened?" Luke asked her when they pulled back.

"She and Dean were at Miss Patty's", Lorelai replied.

"What is that, a motel?" Emily wanted to know.

"Um, it's a dance studio. That was Patty. She said that she found them asleep and woke them up and Rory's on her way home", Lorelai clarified.

„Were they dressed?" Luke asked and Lorelai could see the anger rising in his eyes.

"She didn't say, OK. Let's just try to be calm until we know what happened", Lorelai tried to be calm.

"What do you mean 'until we know what happened'? We know what happened"; Emily screeched and followed Lorelai and Luke into the kitchen.

„No we don't", Lorelai shook her head.

„They were out all night!" Emily insisted.

"I knew that kid was trouble", Luke huffed and slammed his fist on the kitchen counter.

"I'm gonna make some coffee", Lorelai sighed when she looked at the two of them and got the coffee out of the fridge.

"Lorelai Gilmore, I've watched you do a lot of stupid things in your life and I have held my tongue", Emily started yelling at her daughter, while Luke had started pacing in the kitchen, clenching and unclenching his fists.

„You've what?" Lorelai laughed bitterly.

"But I will not stand by and let you allow that girl to ruin her life", Emily said and Luke stopped dead in his tracks.

"Emily", he said warningly, but she ignored him.

„She spent the night out with that boy, the one you let her run off to that dance with", Emily went on.

„Mom, so help me God, I will not get into this with you", Lorelai said.

„She's doing the same thing you did".

„No she's not", Lorelai said and shook her head.

„She's going to get pregnant", Emily insisted.

„No she's not", Lorelai said again.

„She's gonna ruin everything just like you did", Emily yelled at Lorelai.

„No she's not! No she's not! No she's not! Rory is a good kid, Mom! She's not me", Lorelai yelled back and threw the coffee on the counter.

„What kind of mother are you to allow this to happen to her?" Emily asked.

"That's enough!" Luke interfered, but Emily didn't pay attention to him.

„You're going to lose her. You're going to lose her just like I lost you", Emily yelled at her daughter, she wasn't finished yet.

„I am not going to lose her. Do you hear me? Even if I hadn't gotten pregnant, you still would have lost me. I had nothing in that house. I had no life. I had no air. You strangled me. I do not strangle Rory", Lorelai yelled in response.

„Oh you're so perfect and I was so horrible. I put you in good schools. I gave you the best of everything. I made sure you had the finest opportunities. And I am so tired of hearing about how you were suffocated and I was so controlling. Well if I was so controlling why couldn't I control you running around getting pregnant and throwing your life away?" Emily screamed.

„That's enough now, Emily! I will not stand by and let you belittle Lorelai. Stop right now or get out!" Luke yelled this time and pointed to the door.

"What?" Emily asked and looked appalled.

"You will not come into our house and tell Lorelai she threw her life away. Look around, this is a life. And if you can't see what an amazing mother Lorelai is then I don't want you in this house!" he went on and was on a roll now.

"You know that's not what I meant", Emily tried to defend herself.

"Maybe I was some horrible uncontrollable child like you say, but Rory isn't. She's smart and careful and I trust her and she's gonna be fine and if you can't accept that or believe it, then we don't want you in this house!" Lorelai said, now that she had found her voice again. Emily stared at the two of them, then turned on her heels, grabbed her purse and slammed the door behind her when she left the house.

Rory, who had entered the house unnoticed by the screaming adults in the kitchen, decided it was time to make her appearance known to her mother and her soon to be step-father who both stood in the kitchen, breathing hard.

„Thank you for saying all those.." she started, but Luke interrupted her, fury still in his eyes and it was now directed at her.

„What were you thinking staying out all night? Are you insane? I swear to god, I am going to kill this little putz!" he yelled.

„I'm sorry. It was an accident"; she said and looked with puppy dog eyes at her mother, hoping that she would calm Luke down.

"You're talking to the queen of staying out all night. I invented the concept! This is no accident! You can't do this! Period", her mother now yelled, equally upset.

„Nothing happened!"

"Do you have any idea what it's like for your mother to wake up and find out that you never came home?" it was Luke's turn now again.

„It's a feeling of complete terror when your kid isn't in her bed in the morning", her mother added.

„I'm sorry", Rory said again.

„And then it's about a whole different kind of terror when you find out that she spent the night with some guy", her mother went on.

„I didn't spend the night with him. We fell asleep", Rory said.

"I'm going to kill him!" Luke yelled again.

„You are going on the pill", Lorelai said a second later.

„What?" both Rory and Luke asked at the same time.

„You're not getting pregnant", Lorelai went on.

„I'm not sleeping with Dean", Rory said.

"You better not", Luke growled and turned towards the window to calm himself.

„Dammit!" Lorelai yelled frustrated.

"What happened to all that stuff you said to Grandma? What happened to trusting me? Where did all that go?" Rory asked them.

„I think it's back on Patty's yoga mats", Lorelai replied.

„This is crap!" Rory said and Luke turned around to face her again.

"Watch your words young lady!" he warned her and pointed his index finger to her face.

"You know I didn't do anything. You know that it was an accident. You're just mad because I screwed up and I did it in front of Grandma and she nailed you for it. Well I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I screwed up and I'm sorry that you got yelled at, but I didn't do anything and you know it!" Rory yelled and then went into her room and slammed the door behind her.

Lorelai wasn't able to move for some seconds and neither was Luke. When she started crying though he walked over to her and gathered her in his arms.

"It's ok", he told her while he stroked over her hair, "Everything's gonna be okay".

**Please review**

**TBC**


	21. Sounds like a plan

**Thank you so much for the reviews, you have no idea how much I appreciate them!**

* * *

**Chapter 21: Sounds like a plan**

The day had started crappy for Lorelai to begin with: Luke had already been in the diner when she had woken up, she was still not really reconciled with Rory, the pop-tarts box had been empty and her mother had called her before she had had her first cup of coffee.

Emily had invited Rory to the annual Christmas dinner and had uninvited Lorelai and Luke at the same time, telling Lorelai she did not wish to see either of them at her house this coming Friday. Lorelai couldn't think of another occasion when she had been allowed to skip this dinner, or any other for that matter. The Christmas dinner was the only one though which she actually liked and she had already told Luke about the fabulous apple-tarts they would have there, had described the consistence of the filling, the taste, had even dreamed about eating all tarts alone. Minutes after Emily had hung up Lorelai still sat with the phone in the hand on her couch and pouted. She was not only sad that she would miss the tarts, but also hurt that her mother had uninvited her, she was unwelcome in her own parent's house that far it had come. With a sigh she stood up and threw the phone on the couch. A look at the clock told her that she should have been at the Inn half an hour ago, but she decided to go to the diner first nonetheless to make her day at least a bit brighter by getting her first daily Luke fix.

"Hey", she greeted him tiredly when she walked in and then sat down on a stool at the counter.

"Hey back", he said and took one of the cups and filled it with coffee and then placed it in front of her on the counter. Surprised Lorelai looked up, looking at him with questioning eyes.

"You look like you need it", he shrugged and took a plate from Cesar and brought it to a table where Kirk sat. "So what's wrong?" he asked her when he came back.

"Nothing… everything… urgh…. I just wanna go back to bed"; she groaned and lay her head on the counter.

"This is unsanitary, get your face and hair off the counter", Luke said and wiped the spot when she sat back up.

"You suck", she told him unnerved and grabbed her purse.

"I never thought that _that_ time of the month would have such an impact on you", he told her with a knowing smile, trying to get her back to their normal banter.

"You wouldn't even notice that it's _that_ time of the month for me if it weren't for the fact that we still haven't had sex, which sucks as well, just like the rest of this day and everyone I had contact with today. Even my alarm clock seems to hate me today because it let me sleep in and my phone hates me also, because I received a call from my mother first thing this morning", she replied snippy and then marched to the door, taking the cup with her.

"That's not a take out cup!" Luke called after her.

"Then shoot me", she yelled back and slammed the door shut.

* * *

Friday evening Lorelai still wasn't in a better mood. That time of the month had passed now for her, but it didn't change her attitude towards Luke or Rory and was still sulky. 

Luke was watching baseball on TV, while she sat beside him and flipped through her life-style magazines.

"Luke, why won't you convince her to go?" Rory asked while she wrapped the presents for her grand parents.

"Because I don't want to go and I have to work later, so I don't even have the time to go. And honestly I don't think your mother is in any shape to meet her mother. They would kill each other with those tarts", he said.

"Grandma wants you there. She may not know it right now, but she will when I show up alone. And I don't want to go there alone. And the apple tarts are really great. Mom loves the apple tarts and you will also. Please Luke come with me", Rory begged.

"You two better stop talking about me as if I wasn't here. We're not coming to this dinner", Lorelai interfered.

"So, you want to hold a grudge?" Rory asked.

"Yes, it burns more calories", Lorelai muttered.

"That's not true", Luke shook his head.

"Yes it is. How do you think my mother got those legs of hers? She's not exactly a Stairmaster gal", Lorelai told him.

"What's a Stairmaster?" Luke asked puzzled.

"A piece of fitness equipment where you have to climb a few stairs repeatedly", Rory enlightened him, while Lorelai just shook her head at his ignorance.

"Why would one need a piece of fitness equipment to climb stairs? That's stupid! There are stairs everywhere! Why can't those fitness lunatics climb those? Do the stairs need a special height for them or need to be made of a special material? Like some fancy plastic stairs with sparkling stars on them, which break when you step one too many times on them and then you break your ankle and scrape your skin, so you need stitches and a cast and can't walk any stairs for the weeks to come. That's contra-productive," Luke started to rant, but Rory interrupted him.

"Should I put your names on the presents?"

"Yes, sign it the inn keeper formally known as her daughter and her innocent son in law to be", Lorelai answered.

"You know what I think?" Rory asked them and came into the living room.

"What?" Lorelai said and Luke looked up from the TV.

"I think you're acting a little immature", Rory told them.

"I'm not acting", Lorelai said immediately.

"And I'm not immature", Luke said.

"Fine, I'm going", Rory gave up.

"Drive carefully and watch out for ice", Luke told her.

"Yeah, and bring me back one of those tarts!" Lorelai called after Rory, but the door had already closed.

"I think I'm gonna go as well", Luke said and got off the couch "I bet the diner will be crowded tonight because of the hockey game".

"Yeah, go and leave me as well", Lorelai muttered and aggressively flipped to the next page.

"Sourpuss", he grinned and kissed her cheek before he left the house as well.

* * *

"Hey", Lorelai said when she entered the diner for the second time that day. She felt bad because she had been in such a crappy mood since her mother had called her. 

"Coffee?" he asked her and she nodded.

"I'm sorry"; she said and sat down on her stool at the counter.

"It's ok", he told her and gave her a small smile. "You want to eat something?" he asked her.

"Yeah", she nodded and smiled back.

""I'll get you a burger", Luke said and started to go into the kitchen, but she stopped him.

"Wait. Can I see a menu?", she asked him.

"Why do you need to see a menu?" he asked.

"I don't know, but I usually order the same thing, and tonight I'm in the mood for something a little different. Something festive"

"You know that I'll make you anything you want to eat anyhow, right?"

"I know", she sighed. "You're too good to me".

"Don't I know it", Luke smiled.

"I'll have a burger", Lorelai said finally. Luke only shook his head and went into the kitchen where he disappeared for the next fifteen minutes.

"Do you still have to slaughter the cow or why is this taking so long?" Lorelai yelled into the kitchen.

"Yes, I'm just washing the blood of my hands", Luke replied when he came out with her burger.

"Gross", she muttered, but then her eyes lit up when she saw what he had made her.

"What did you do?", she asked him and stared at her burger.

"You wanted something festive", he shrugged.

"You made me a Santa burger", she exclaimed nd pointed to the Santa face on the plate.

"It's not a big deal."

"He has a hat and everything."

"Yeah, I just cut a piece of wonder bread, you know, poured a little ketchup, piped on a little cream cheese.

"No one has ever made me something quite this disgusting before. I thank you", she smiled, leaned over the counter and gave him a soft kiss.

"You're welcome", he said and pecked her lips again, before he took the coffee pot to start his refill round when her cell phone rang and he pointed to the "no cell phone" sign with one hand.

"Luke", she whined, "I can't go outside, it's like the North Pole out there", she told him, but he shook his head.

"Outside", he said sternly.

"Honey, you don't want me to get sick again right? Because you know that means that you will have to cook for me and entertain me and nurse me back to health", she flirted and twirled a strand of her hair around her finger.

"And that would be different how from every other day?" he asked her with raised eyebrows when Taylor and a group of his choir came in.

"You don't have to watch me throwing up?" she grinned flirtatiously.

"True", he said and turned to Taylor who tried to bargain with him to get free hot chocolate for his choir and himself, but of course Luke refused.

"Oh my God!", Lorelai suddenly exclaimed after she had checked her voicemail.

"These are your neighbours Luke!", Taylor ignored her, still trying to get free drinks.

"Shut up Taylor", Luke told him and then turned to Lorelai. "What's going on?" he asked her.

"My father's in the hospital", she told him and looked completely shocked nd freaked out.

"What?"

"Yeah, he collapsed or something. I don't know. I need a cab. I need to call a cab. Where's the phone? I need - can anyone give me - I'm holding a phone", she rambled.

"Whoa, calm down", Luke said and lay his hands on her shoulders.

"No I can't calm down. I need a cab. What's the number? God, it's something-cabs, cabs-something-something, 1-800-cabs? Can somebody tell me the damn number of the cab guy?!" she yelled.

"You don't need a cab. I'm right here, I'll drive you to the hospital", he told her gently.

"But there's food and there's people and there's a burger with a face", she said and Luke pulled her to him and hugged her while he turned to the customers.

"Ok, everybody out! We're closed, let's go. Food's on me." He announced, then placed a kiss on Lorelai's hair and pulled away from her. "Put on your coat and get your stuff", he said and then turned to Taylor. "Taylor, have your hot chocolate then lock up", he said and led Lorelai through the curtain towards the backdoor.

"Luke, I'm …" she started and he could see the fear in her eyes.

"I know", he nodded and held her when she hugged him again, before the both got into the truck.

* * *

The first part of the drive past in complete silence. Lorelai gripped Luke's right hand tightly in her own while she was starring out the window into the darkness. 

"I feel like this is one of those moments when I should be remembering all the great times I had with my dad, you know. The time he took me shopping for a Barbie or to the circus or fishing and my mind is a complete blank", she admitted quietly after a while.

"Well I'm sure it happened", Luke said and gave her hand a squeeze.

"No it didn't. We never did any of that. He went to work, he came home, he read the paper, he went to bed, I snuck out the window. Simple. He was a very by the numbers guy. I was never very good with numbers", she said sadly.

"I'm sure he loves you", he tried to reassure you.

"You know my dad is not a bad guy".

"I know", Luke nodded, because he liked Richard. He was always boring him with insurance issues and business talk during the Friday night dinners, but he was a good hearted man who cared a lot for his family and Luke approved of that. Luke hadn't had a family since his father had died and he liked the connection they had because they both loved Lorelai and Rory and cared for them.

"He lived his life the way he thought he was supposed to. He followed the rules taught to him by his non-fishing-non-Barbie-buying dad. He worked hard. He bought a nice house. He provided for my mom. All he asked in return was for his daughter to wear white dresses and go to cotillion and want the same life that he had. What a disappointment it must have been for him to get me", Lorelai went on.

"Nobody could ever see you as a disappointment, you are an amazing woman", Luke replied.

"You're only saying that because you love me", Lorelai dismissed it and then froze. They hadn't said it yet, those three words, but now she implied it and was afraid how Luke would react.

"You're right, I love you, but that doesn't change the fact that you're not a disappointment for your father", he said nonchalantly, like they had said it a thousand times already.

"I love you, too", she said and gave him a small smile, then brought their joined hands to her mouth and pressed her lips to the back of his hand. Luke smiled back and they shared a moment of understanding in this horrible situation.

"I bet you'd buy a Barbie for our daughter", she said then, not really caring what she was implying now.

"Yeah, well, I'd probably give her the cash to buy it herself and meet her by the baseball cards", Luke grinned.

"Hmm. You'll make a great dad", she said and nodded approvingly because of his answer.

"You make a great mom", he said and gave her hand another squeeze.

"Did we just have the talk I think we had?" she asked him.

"Yup, seems like it. Guess we're covering all the basics today", Luke chuckled.

"Maybe we should set a wedding date right now" she grinned.

"Let's wait at least until we know when your father will be released", Luke said and sped the car up, because he suddenly couldn't wait to get into the hospital only to get out of the hospital faster.

"Sounds like a plan", Lorelai agreed and turned back towards the window, but kept Luke's hand in hers and stroked aimlessly with her thumb over his skin.

**TBC**

**please review and please leave a name with your review, if you're not registered here**


	22. No comments no audience

**Chapter 22: No comment, no audience**

It took them a while to reach the hospital and Lorelai used the time to contemplate what had just happened between her and Luke. She was aware that this probably wasn't the time to think about her love life, but she couldn't stop herself and it was a nice distraction from worrying about her father. She had never thought that the first heartfelt "I love you" would be so casual and random. Yet it had been incredible to hear Luke confirming it after her slip of words and her heart was still beating faster, not only because she was nervous about her father. Whatever would happen to her father she knew that she would always remember this moment and hoped that her dad would be fine and it would stay a happy memory forever.

After Luke had parked the car and they had entered the hospital it took them a while to find Emily, because the building was huge and all the corridors looked the same and just the color of the lines on the wall changed sometimes.

They had been told to follow the blue line to the end and then walk around the corner, but that just didn't seem right when they saw the entry to the operation area.

Yet before they could ask anyone they heard Emily's voice and hurried over to where it was coming from hand in hand, because Lorelai still refused to let his hand go. She had grabbed it after they got out of the car and had held it ever since. They found her arguing with the nurse, because the poor woman couldn't tell her any news on Richard's condition and had to convince Emily at the same time to fill out the forms.

Emily was surprised when she saw Luke and Lorelai, she couldn't reach them at home, because no one had been answering the phone and now they were appearing out of nowhere.

"Mom, how is dad?" Lorelai greeted her and interrupted her discussion with the nurse.

"You're here. Why are you here?" Emily asked them surprised.

"Of course we're here. What happened and how is he?" Lorelai tried to get to the important information.

"That's what I've been trying to find out but this woman keeps pestering me with idiotic questions like 'What's the number of my insurance policy and how long have we had it'", Emily said angrily and pointed to the nurse behind the counter.

"I need to get this information", the woman tried to reason and looked at Lorelai desperately.

"You need to get sensitivity training", Emily yelled upset.

"Well, what if I fill out this information and you can go find someone who can tell us how my dad is", Lorelai told the nurse.

"I'm not supposed to…" the woman started, but Lorelai interrupted her.

"Or, I could go and you can stay here and continue to discuss this with my mother", Lorelai said and raised her eyebrows.

"I'll go", the nurse decided after looking at Emily for a moment and then hurried off.

"Now tell me what happened", Lorelai turned to her mother.

"I don't know what happened. He was hot and he went to turn down the thermostat and then I found him collapsed on the floor", Emily reported.

"Is Dr. Reynolds here?" Lorelai asked, knowing that maybe the old friend of her parents would be able to calm her mother and make sure her father got the best treatment.

"Yes, Joshua got here a while ago. He was supposed to come back the minute he knew something but he hasn't been back yet".

"Well let's go find him", Lorelai shrugged.

"You can't find him! You can't find anyone! Everyone just keeps disappearing behind those doors!" Emily said and sounded desperate.

"Well then let's go there and see if we can find him", Lorelai said and pointed to the door. Together with Luke and her mother she walked to it and pushed it open motioning for her mother to enter.

"I didn't know you could do that", Emily said and hurried of to find her husband.

"I'll wait here", Luke suddenly said when Lorelai wanted to pull him with her into the forbidden area.

"What? Why?" Lorelai asked him and turned around to face him.

"I'm not feeling comfortable being here, let alone going in there where all the people are hooked to wires and cables and it smells like hospital even stronger", he said and that's when Lorelai realized that he looked a bit paler than before.

"Oh honey, I'm sorry. You ok?" she asked him and stroked over his cheek with her free hand.

"Sure, I'm just gonna sit over there and wait for you", he said and pointed to a few chairs. Lorelai looked at him and wasn't sure what to do. She wanted to follow her mother and help her find her father, but at the same time she didn't want to go in there without Luke. She wasn't sure why, but the thought of going in there alone, while Luke was sitting on a chair outside made her uncomfortable. He was her fiancé and she needed him and she didn't want to be without him. When she realized that she clung to his hand and wasn't able to let him go she was shocked. She had never thought she could be a clingy girlfriend, she had always been independent. What was wrong with her?

"You'll be fine and your mother needs you. I'll be right over there", Luke said as if he could read her thoughts and gave her hand a squeeze.

"Ok", she said quietly and nodded, but still didn't let go of his hand. She looked down at their joined hands while they were still standing in the open door. She saw their fingers linked together, her still ring-less hand then slowly looked up to him. He gave her a puzzled look, wasn't really sure what was wrong with her. The moment was interrupted though when Rory came along the corridor.

"Mom! Luke!" she said and then threw her arms around the both of them, relief evident in her voice. They both hugged the teen back and really looked like a family. "I'm so glad you're here", she said and slowly pulled back.

"Don't worry too much babe, I'm sure your grandfather will be okay. I'm gonna go and see if I can find them now", Lorelai said, placing a kiss on her daughter's forehead and then hurried off through the door, after giving Luke another strange look he couldn't place.

"Did they find out anything else about Grandpa?" Rory asked Luke as they finally walked over to the chairs so that the door could close.

"No, we just got here, but give your mom a couple of minutes back there, I bet she finds something out", Luke said and they both sat down, Rory with a heavy sigh.

"Hey, you ok?" he asked her.

"I don't want him to die", she admitted and looked teary.

"Well you tell him that when you see him ok? People like to hear that", he told her softly and was surprised when she leaned her head against his shoulder.

"It was horrible! It happened so fast", Rory sniffed and Luke placed one arm around her shoulders and gave her a squeeze.

* * *

When Lorelai came back she found them in the same position, both sitting on the chairs, Rory's head on Luke's shoulder and his arm around her.

"Do I need to be jealous?" Lorelai asked them.

"How is he?" Rory asked and took her head from Luke's shoulder when she saw her mother.

"They're about to bring him out of the big test room any minute so just hang in there", Lorelai informed them.

"And where's your mother?" Luke wanted to know.

"Kicking some patient out of the room with the good view. I hope they get him unhooked fast, otherwise he's going without the life support machine", Lorelai said and gave them a small smile. Rory took a deep breath, got off the chair and stretched her legs and arms.

"I'd like to do something Like get some coffee or make phone calls or do something that isn't sitting here waiting.", she stated.

"Ok, got it. Well as partial as I am to the phone, I'm voting for the 'get coffee' idea", Lorelai said.

"Ok, good. Luke tea?"

"Ah, peppermint preferably", he nodded.

"I'll be right back", Rory said and hurried off. Lorelai sat down in Rory's free chair and immediately took Luke's hand back in hers.

"You're very brave for her"; Luke told her approvingly and kissed her forehead when she lay her head on his shoulder where Rory's head had been just a minute ago.

"Yeah, well it's my turn. God this sucks," she sighed and he kissed her forehead once more.

"Hey come on, you gotta think positive here - bright side, good thoughts. Rainbows, unicorns, clowns, little cute...furry… ok I'm out", he rambled and Lorelai actually had to laugh at his attempt to cheer her up. Luke talking about clowns and unicorns was too funny and she was once again glad he was there with her.

"Thank God", she smiled and leaned closer to him, pecked him softly on the lips one time, but then couldn't pull back and gave him another two soft kisses and would have deepened it, if her mother wouldn't have emerged through the door.

"Alright, we've secured him the room but the pillows are completely unacceptable. I'm gonna see if I can find him some down ones and some slippers. I'll be right back", she told them while she hurried past them and seemed oblivious to what had just happened. She had no proof yet that they were really a couple now, other then watching them lying on the couch together while they had been sick. At least that's what Luke and Lorelai thought.

"We'll be right here", Lorelai told her and lay her head back on Luke's shoulder, letting herself be surrounded by the scent of his aftershave. Suddenly she felt him tense and his breath caught in his throat.

"Jeez are you ok?" she asked him and looked up so she could see his face.

"Yeah, I'm just not big on hospitals you know the smell, people being wheeled by with tubes sticking out of them, you know, drainage, fluids, gaping holes …" he admitted.

"Ok, listen, why don't you go home", she offered and winced at the thought. She didn't want him to go.

"You want me to go?" he asked her surprised.

"You don't look so good", she stated and pointed to his pale face.

"Thanks", he said dryly.

"That's not what I meant. You know you always look good", she tried to clarify.

"Yeah?" he grinned cockily.

"I mean you always look healthy", she tried to clarify and to get out of the situation.

"Ok", Luke just grinned and she took her head of his shoulder completely.

"Oh what? So I said you look good. We're not in 5th grade. 'You look good', big deal. Stop staring at me", she told him when he kept grinning at her.

"So I am not allowed to look at you anymore?" he asked in a playful tone.

"Would you stop now?" she asked and had to laugh at his playfulness. She loved that side of him, although he showed it very rarely and always in surprising situations, just like now. He surprised her again when he suddenly kissed her and then pulled her into his arms again.

"Better?" he wanted to know.

"Better", she nodded and buried her nose in his shirt to forget the world around her.

* * *

When Rory and Emily came back after a while, Rory with tea but without coffee and Emily with a relieved expression after visiting her husband, Luke and Lorelai had to pull apart.

"Hey where's my coffee?" Lorelai asked her daughter when Rory handed Luke his tea.

"The machine is jammed, no chance to get a coffee", Rory informed her.

"What? There's only one coffee- machine in this whole hospital?" Lorelai asked her.

"No, but I only checked one", Rory shrugged.

"I really need some coffee now", Lorelai groaned and got up.

"Where are you going?" Luke asked her.

"I'm going to use my super heroine powers to get coffee somewhere. You coming with me?" she asked him

"No, I'm fine here. There's no need for me to pass the emergency rooms once again", he said and shuddered in horror, still thinking of all the blood he had seen when they had arrived.

"You're such a baby", Lorelai teased him. "Rory you coming with mommy?" she asked her daughter.

"Sure, I'm not very fond of sitting here and doing nothing", the teen said and they walked off together.

An uncomfortable silence spread between Luke and Emily after she had sat down beside him. Luke cleared his throat several times, wracking his brain for something to say to her, but he couldn't come up with anything.

"So what exactly is going on between the two of you?" Emily suddenly said out of nowhere, surprising Luke.

"What?" he asked confused, not really sure that he understood what she was talking about.

"What's going on between you and Lorelai? You were barely talking to each other after I told you that you were getting married and now suddenly your snuggling together on the couch and I saw you kiss earlier", Emily said bluntly.

"Jeez", Luke muttered and blushed; he couldn't look her in the eye.

"So?" she pressured.

"We, uhm, we… got together.. I guess", he stuttered.

"Well, I can't say I'm surprised. But how long did it take you after the ultimatum?"

"A few…months", he admitted.

"You set a wedding date yet?" Emily seemed to ignore his answer.

"No, not yet. We will… we have to…you know", he said, not really sure where she was going with this.

"You're idiots, the both of you", she told him and he raised his eyebrows questioningly.

"You could have been married for years already if you two weren't so damn stubborn", Emily enlightened him.

"Where did you get that from?" Luke asked her, suddenly suspicious of how she was aware of the feelings he had for Lorelai for years now, but Emily didn't answer him. She just smiled knowingly.

* * *

"What's going on?" Lorelai asked them when she came back and found them sitting side by side without speaking, but also without seeming hostile.

"Your mother called me an idiot", Luke said.

"Wow, you must have sucked up good", Lorelai smiled.

"Well I'm going to go wash my face", Emily suddenly said, she got up and took Rory with her.

"You should go and see your father", Luke told Lorelai and got out of his chair, laid his arm around her shoulder and led her to her father's room.

"You're coming with me?" she asked him timidly.

"I really think you should go in there alone", he said. "I'll be right here when you come back out" he hurried to add when he saw the look on her face.

"Ok", she said, and took a deep breath, she slowly let go of Luke's hand and then walked into her father's room.

He was lying in the bed, covered by white sheets and looked pale and tired. Lorelai had never had a particularly good relationship with her father. Although she fought a lot with her mother the relationship with her was not as distant. Sometimes she wondered if her father knew her at all, while she knew at the same time that her mother could read her like an open book. His eyes were closed and she could hear the beeping sound of the machines. It really scared her to see her father this weak. He had always been that strong man for her, and now he was lying there. She grabbed the metal handle on the end of the bed and stared at him, contemplating their relationship of the past and promised to herself that she would put more effort in the relationship with her parents, because god knew how long she would still have them.

Slowly her father opened his eyes and looked at her. He looked surprised at first then gave her a small smile which she returned. They stared at each other for a long moment, but before either of them could say something the door opened and Emily, the doctor and Rory came in, bringing more newspapers and didn't even seem to notice that she was in the room. She gave her father a small wave and then hurried out of the room and just like promised Luke was there.

She tried to compose herself for a second when relief flooded her and the tears streamed into her eyes, but she just couldn't. When she saw Luke's questioning look, she walked to him, hugged him as tight as she could and cried into his shoulder.

"He's going to be fine", she sobbed into his shoulder. Luke hugged her back, stroked her hair and placed kisses on her forehead.

"Ok, see here's where the guy is supposed to give the girl his handkerchief but I don't have one..." he said to lighten the mood when she started to sniff harder, "And plus I find the practice a little revolting so... ", he added and she had to smile and stopped crying.

"No, I'm ok", she said and pulled a bit away from him and slung her arms around his waist.

"You sure?" he asked her and put his arms around her as well.

"Yeah", she replied and was suddenly overcome with affection for the man in front of her. He was there, like always. He comforted her, like always and made her smile just like he always did. She really did love him. She put one hand to his cheek and pulled his head closer, rested her forehead against his. She desperately wanted to kiss him, to show him how she felt, but she knew that this was not the place for it. They were in a hospital, her father was sick and her mother and her daughter were a few feet away in a room.

"Hey, I got this for you", Luke said and broke the connection their eyes had made. She looked down and found a fresh cup of coffee in his hand.

"Where'd you get that?" she asked him and took the cup from him while a wide smile graced her face.

"Nurse's lounge", he shrugged.

"You flirted with the nurses to get this?" she asked him and raised her eyebrows.

"The door was open and I asked them", he sighed.

"I don't really believe you, but thank you", she grinned and happily sipped her coffee.

"Anything else I can do?" he asked her.

"You wanna flirt some more with other women?" she shot back.

"Jeez… ", he just said and rolled his eyes.

"Could you take Rory home?" she asked then.

"Yeah sure. What about you?" he wanted to know.

"I'm gonna stick around here for a while and make sure everything's settled you know. You take her and I'll drive the jeep back", she told him.

"Ok, but drive carefully", he nodded just when Rory came out of her grandfather's room.

"He's gonna be fine", she smiled.

"Yeah, yeah. I think it was those financial papers that really did the trick. So, um, Luke's gonna take you home ok, I'm gonna hang out here for a while", Lorelai told Rory the plan.

"Ok, tell Grandpa I'll come back tomorrow," Rory nodded.

"Ok, I will, bye", Lorelai hugged her daughter shortly then turned to Luke.

"I'll try to get home as fast as possible", she told him.

"Ok, I think I'll go and check on the diner, so don't wait up for me if you're back until then", he said.

"Mmh, okay. Don't be too late", she nodded and he kissed her quickly and wanted to pull away, but her lips lingered against his. Suddenly she kissed him passionately and Luke was too stunned to react at first, but he shoved her softly back when he felt her tongue on his lips.

"You're sure you're ok?" he asked her and narrowed his eyes at her.

"Yeah I am. See you later and don't forget I love you" she replied and grabbed his hand.

"Love you too", he said, squeezed her hand and gave her a smile before he walked over to where Rory was waiting with a huge grin on her face.

"Ok, walk fast and I don't wanna hear any comments", Luke said and Rory just grinned even wider.

* * *

It was late at night and Luke was still cleaning up the diner. He had had to mop the floor because Taylor and his choir had left a mess, spilled chocolate everywhere on the floor and the tables. The deep fryer was turned off, but the old grease had still been in it and Luke had to clean it as well.

He groaned when he heard the bells over the diner door jingle, because he was in no mood to deal with any crazy customer now. All he wanted to do was go home and check on Lorelai, hear how her father was doing and make sure she was ok, because she had seemed off somehow.

When he turned around he came face to face with the craziest of all his customers: Lorelai herself.

"Hey what are you doing here? I thought you were going home", he told her and greeted her with a quick kiss.

"I was, but you weren't home yet, so I thought I could come here. Rory's already asleep, all that drama exhausted her", Lorelai explained.

"How's your dad?" Luke asked her.

"Better, though he says that life is not life unless it includes a steak, "Lorelai giggled.

"Wise man your father", Luke nodded.

"The Christmas parade is outside, I saw it when I came here. Why are you in here and not watching it?" she asked him

"I had to clean up in here, the place was a mess", he grumbled.

"Right, anyways, this is for you. I got it at the gift shop at the hospital", she grinned and handed him a small box.

"What's it for?" he wanted to know

"Just thank you, Christmas, whatever", she shrugged.

"Christmas isn't for two weeks", Luke said and opened the box and found a blue baseball cap inside.

"Do we really have to do this again? just thought, you know, God forbid something happens to that one, you might need a spare. Here", she said and put it forwards on his head." Does that look wrong", she laughed and then turned it backwards. "There!" she grinned and kissed him softly, before she pulled away from him and walked to the window. "Oh hey turn out the lights", she told him.

"For what? It's not the real procession, it's just the rehearsal", he said, but turned the lights off nonetheless.

"So, it's pretty", she shrugged.

"And why do they need to rehearse it? It's the same thing every year", he grumbled.

"Come on Luke, please", she said and held out her hand. Slowly he walked towards her, took her hand and stood by her side, looking out the window onto the town-square. "It's hard to imagine living somewhere else isn't it?" she asked him quietly. Luke nodded slowly.

"Thanks for the hat", he said in the same quiet tone she had spoken in.

"You're welcome. Looks good on you", she said casually.

"Good how?", Luke grinned and looked down on her. She looked up, and saw his cocky grin, had to smile as well and their eyes locked. She pulled his right arm tighter around her and used her left hand to sneak into his hair and pull him down towards her. Their lips met and for the first time that day they didn't have to worry about an audience, hospital policy or her father's health. Again and again she pressed her lips against his and then turned around, wrapped her arms around his neck and deepened the kiss. She pressed her body against his while their tongues caressed each other, she felt his hard chest pressed against her breast. She played with his curls which stuck out under his baseball cap, before she grabbed the cap and took it off completely and tossed it on the table behind him.

Luke slipped of her jacket and stuck his hands under her shirt, caressed her belly and her back, drew circles on it and heard her moan when he dipped his finger into her belly button.

After taking of his cap her next task was to get of his shirt, then his pants, then his boxers… but he stopped her after the third shirt button by laying one hand atop of hers.

"What?" she asked and he could already see a pout forming on her face, so he kissed her again, but kept her hands in his.

"We shouldn't do this in front of the window, we'll end up having an audience", he said and pointed with his chin to the people outside.

"You're right. Let's go upstairs", she nodded and pulled him away from the window, slung her arms around his neck and kissed him again.

"Why don't… we go home", Luke mumbled between the kisses and pressed her against the doorframe of the door between the diner and the back area.

"It's…too far… and… we're alone here", she replied and slung her legs around his waist, just like she had done the evening Lane had interrupted them.

"Hurry… no interruptions this time", she told him and unbuttoned his shirt while he carried her up the stairs. She took his shirt off with a lot of effort while he pressed her against the door of his old apartment, then fumbled with the doorknob which was pressing against her back, trying to get it open while he sucked on the side of her neck, finding the exact spot that drove her crazy. When she suddenly got the door open they stumbled inside and Lorelai had to take her legs from his waist, otherwise they would have fallen down.

It didn't slow them down though and frantically they pulled each other's clothes off, kissed and caressed ever bit of skin they could touch and made their way to the bed.

Lorelai sat down on it and moved back and pulled Luke down with her, pulling him on top of her. He found that sensitive spot on her neck again and made her moan, and moan again when he brought his hands to her breast, caressed them softly.

Lorelai grasped his back when he kissed down her throat to her chest and brought his lips to her hardened peaks, stimulated them for a while and then kissed further down.

"Luke… god, why didn't we do this before?" she moaned and grasped his hair in her hands.

"Shhh", he just said and continued what he had been doing until they both couldn't stand it anymore. They both had been waiting for so long and now the time had come. It couldn't have been more perfect than when they both screamed out and groaned at the same moment, reaching their peak together: sweaty, happy and in love.

**TBC**


	23. No more mushy talk

I am really excited, because chapter 5 of **Backpacking in Europe** is up and it's the first chapter I wrote myself. So if you want to check out my amazing writting skills in that other story, then go to my profile and get the link (I'm joking, I'm joking, but really check out the story).

This chapter here is filler and I can tell you this, because you'll see anyway. I hope you enjoy it nonetheless. Feed me with your review, tell me if you like it or not.

As for the speculations some of you had what will come now after they got together: The main twist of the story will come to you within the next two chapters and if you read chapter two(!) carefully you can already guess what will happen.

* * *

**Chapter 23:**** No more mushy talk…**

"Mmmmmh", Lorelai purred like a cat while she lay naked on her back, legs and arms spread out so she looked like an X. She had her eyes closed and a silly grin on her face and kept purring.

"Thank god we're alone here", Luke smiled when he came back from the kitchen area, a glass of water in his hand, a bottle of beer in the other, and was equally naked. Slowly Lorelai opened her eyes first one then the other and looked up at him.

"You're a god", she said and it still sounded like a moan, the smile still on her face. Luke placed the bottle and the glass on the nightstand and wanted to lay down beside her, but Lorelai pulled him on top of her, wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck and placed a kiss on the crook of his neck.

"You are sooooo good", she whispered and placed another kiss on his ear.

"And you were soooo loud", Luke teased her. "Now drink your water", he ordered then and rolled off of her, after kissing her again.

"Mean", she pouted, but then sat up and grabbed the beer from the nightstand and took several gulps. "And just for the record: We were both loud… several times", she grinned like the cat that got the cream.

"Good thing my neighbour is half deaf anyway", Luke chuckled and took the bottle out of her hands and took a sip. "Hey", he said when Lorelai snatched it out of his hands again and drank the rest, "You have your water", he complained.

"Shhh, ready to go again?" she grinned , put the empty bottle back on the nightstand, lay back down on her back and wiggled her eyebrows. "Or do you want me on top again?" she asked when he just looked at her, but didn't budge.

"Half an hour ago you were complaining that you wouldn't be able to walk tomorrow and now you want to go again?" he asked her and raised his eyebrows.

"That was half an hour ago. And who cares if I'm able to walk or not I have you to carry me around. You have the strength and the stamina, you proved that", she grinned and then pulled at his arm, so he would lie down at least. She rolled over on her side and then snuggled up to him, laid her head on his chest and threw her leg over his.

"We really shouldn't have waited that long! What were we thinking? My mother was right: We are idiots", she said and remembered the talk between Luke and Emily, which Emily had told her about when they had been eating in the cafeteria of the hospital.

"Could you please not mention your mother while we are naked in bed? That's creepy", Luke said and shuddered, but put his arm around her and started to play with her tousled hair.

"Ok: No Emily talk in bed. What else is not allowed? Rory, that's for sure, everything that has to do with Taylor or Kirk. Personally I would prefer not to talk about anybody else, except us", she said. "And I don't want to talk about that creepy guy from the toothpaste advertisement", she added after a short pause.

"I can live with that", Luke nodded and gave her a long kiss, which escalated quickly and soon hands were roaming over the naked bodies, while they kissed passionately. Luke pulled Lorelai on top of him and when he stroked up and down her spine with one finger he made her moan and goose bumps broke out.

"So you want me on top again?" she whispered between kisses and slipped one hand between their bodies, making him moan.

"Who said that?" he replied and rolled them over again, pressing their weight into the mattress, paying attention not to fall off the small bed. They kissed and caressed, but then suddenly Luke stopped.

"What do you think you're doing?" Lorelai asked upset when he just rolled off of her, put on his boxer shorts and got out of bed. He didn't reply, but opened the door of his closet and rummaged through the stuff that was still left in there: A few old shirts and some boxes with pictures of his family.

"Luke, I thought after what we already did you know that we don't need clothes for what we were going to do", Lorelai told him and propped herself up on her elbows. "Oh wait... do you have the kinky stuff in there? Like a whip? Body paints? Handcuffs?" she grinned suddenly. "You know, not that I am against the kinky stuff, actually I really think we should try everything out, but at the moment I am pretty satisfied with the normal stuff. You know a few years from now it might get really hard to spice up our sex-life, after the kids and you know... same old, same old...maybe you should wait until then and then show me your dark side", Lorelai babbled while Luke was searching his closet for something. When he finally turned around she stopped immediately when she saw what he was holding in his hand.

"Oh my god! Is this what I think it is?" she whispered and her eyes widened while she stared at the object in his hand. He walked back to the bed and sat down beside her.

"You know, I wanted to give you this for Christmas, but it's still two weeks away and we've been engaged for so long already. I mean basically the second I told you your mother called me we were engaged, even if it didn't really occur to me until I moved in with you and my bread supplier asked me where I was living now and I told him that I was living at my fiancées house…. I mean, that's when I realized it.. because that's what you are: My fiancée. We are getting married. And now that we are together and everything, I just thought that…. I saw your look today at the hospital and decided to give you this before Christmas… I should have given you this weeks ago, this isn't a good Christmas present anyway…", Luke rambled and played nervously with the small black box in his hand.

"Luke", Lorelai said softly and touched his arm to calm him. Her eyes were already moist with tears, because she was so touched by the gesture. He looked at her and then slowly opened the box, revealed the white gold ring with the princess cut diamond in the middle and two smaller diamonds on the side. Lorelai stared at the beautiful ring, then looked up into his face, awe written all over her own.

"I know this is stupid now and maybe it will come out wrong, because we just…" Luke started and pointed to the bed, "but it's been clear for a while now that we are getting married and that means that we are engaged somehow. But… Lorelai… do you want to marry me?" he asked her and was surprised when she threw herself into his arms and sobbed. "I mean you don't have to wear it if you don't like it. I can get you another one… or you don't have to wear a ring at all… we don't have to wear any rings", Luke said while he held her until she pulled back.

"Yes, of course I want to marry you and don't you dare think about taking this ring back!" she said and kissed him softly.

"Then why the hell are you crying?" he asked her confused and a bit grumpy.

"Because you wanted to give me this for Christmas, but you realized today that I was sad that I don't have a ring even though I'm engaged and so you gave me the ring. That is so romantic and that's why I'm crying", she gushed and kissed him again.

"It's not romantic and it's pointless to cry because of that", he shook his head and made a horrified face.

"Yes it is and every romantic movie in the world will tell you so. I think we have to watch some, so that you'll see and understand how romantic this is", she said and he just grunted derogatory. "Do I get the ring now or do you want me to carry it around with me in the box?", she asked him then and wiped the tears from her cheeks. Luke just rolled his eyes, then took out the ring and placed it on her ring finger. Immediately she held her hand away and looked at the ring. "It's so beautiful and even the right size. Thank you", she said then, placed the hand with the ring on his cheek and pulled him to her and kissed him softly, but thoroughly. When they pulled apart Luke just threw the empty ring box on the nightstand and Lorelai started to laugh. "Ok, I get it: Romantic moment is over. Now get back in here and lose those shorts", she said and lay back on the bed, watched him while he stepped out of his boxers and then joined her on the bed, where they continued where they had left off when Luke had gotten out of bed. Both naked, except for Lorelai now wearing her engagement ring.

* * *

"I think you really have to carry me. Urgh, that hurts", Lorelai complained another two hours later when she came fully dressed and showered out of the bathroom.

"Finally, I never thought that it would take half an hour to blow dry your hair", Luke groaned when he saw her. He was sitting at the table in the kitchen, reading the newspaper from the day before, his hair was still damp from the shower they had taken together.

"You're avoiding showing sympathy for me", she said and sat down in his lap and gave him another kiss, but he quickly pulled back.

"Okay, we both know where this will be leading now every time we kiss so I would say let's go home and we should stop making out before we reach the safety of our bedroom", he told her, but wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Our bedroom I like that", she said and kissed him again, not really caring about what he had just told her. He kissed her back eagerly for a few seconds, then pulled back and lifted her off his lap, then stood up himself.

"We should go", he nodded, grabbed his keys from the table, took her hand in his and switched off the lights when they left his former apartment. Quietly they walked down the steps and through the dark diner. They locked the door behind them when they were outside, the rehearsing of the procession long over, but the twinkling lights in the gazebo were still on. Before Luke could react Lorelai flung herself at him and kissed him again, with as much passion as she had still in her after hours of lovemaking.

"Lo…" he started, but couldn't get further when her tongue entered his mouth. He wrapped his arms around her waist and again his hands found the way under her jacket and under her shirt, touched her bare skin.

"Get a room", someone suddenly yelled from across the street and Luke could have sworn that the voice belonged to Taylor, but he couldn't prove it. They pulled back and were already breathing hard when they finally walked back home.

"You know I really like this.. not only the sex and the ring, but also walking with my fiancée through this town, after a horrible day, which ended so much better than it began".

"Thank you. This day started during round three… or was it four? Either way, this day started while we were up there", Luke replied and pointed back to the diner with his thumb.

"Yeah yeah, you know what I mean, don't play dumb", she scolded, but laughed.

"We're engaged, we had sex, we're happy, you have the ring… can we stop this mushy talk now, it's making me sick", he grumbled.

"Seems like I wore you out. You're tired and hungry and that makes you act like that", Lorelai teased him and pointed her finger to his face.

"What? No", Luke shook his head.

"Sometimes you get like this when you're hungry", Lorelai went on, the smile on her face getting wider.

"I'm not", he stated.

"I think I have some cookies in here, some Oreos", she giggled and pointed to her purse.

"I'm not and besides I wouldn't eat anything that came out of that bag", Luke shot back and pointed to her purse as well, a disapproving look on his face.

"They're in a wrapper".

"I can't believe you still haven't cleaned that thing out", Luke started a whole new discussion.

"Please", she rolled her eyes, knowing that he wasn't approving of all the stuff she had in her purse.

"How much time do you lose a day looking through that thing? 5, 10 minutes? Multiply that by a year. I bet you'd gain a month if you just took an hour and cleaned it out, but no -- what?" he ranted and stopped when he saw her smiling brightly, while they kept walking towards her house.

"Nothing", she shrugged, and was just happy. She loved it when he ranted, but he was right: the last day had been sappy enough with the "I love yours and the ring.

"You're smiling", he pointed out.

"What? No. You've got low blood sugar", she dismissed it.

"I do not have.." he started to dismiss it. "Oh thank god", he said when they reached their house, hand in hand, bantering or not. He took his key out of his pocket, but Lorelai was faster and just opened the door.

"How many times did I tell you already to lock it?!" he started the next lecture, but she just pulled him into the dark house.

"Shush, be quiet now, Rory's already asleep", she whispered and led him into the living room. They had just tiptoed to the stairs when suddenly the light turned on and they stopped dead in their tracks.

"Jesus Christ", Luke exclaimed when they turned around and found Rory on the couch in the living room.

"Where do you think you're going?" Rory asked them and raised her eyebrows, yet the glint in her eyes told both Luke and Lorelai that she was joking.

"Hi", Lorelai grinned and unconsciously played with her new jewellery.

"You scared the crap out of me!" Luke complained and lay one hand over his heart.

"It's three o'clock in the morning", Rory told them.

"I know but the diner was flooded and we had to save the drowning cute kitties and puppies and babies and then clean up the mess", Lorelai replied and was still grinning.

"Did you have a nice time?" her daughter asked innocently.

"Not bad", Lorelai giggled and then turned with a naughty grin towards Luke. "Not bad at all".

"And this it my cue to leave. Good night Rory", Luke said and walked up the stairs, ignoring Lorelai's pulling on his arm.

"That's a very big smile for a not bad night", Rory told her mother, who sat down beside her.

"Yeah well...he gave me a ring", Lorelai grinned.

"What ring?" Rory asked confused.

"This ring, an engagement ring", Lorelai replied happily and held out her hand for Rory to see the ring.

"Wow", Rory just said and looked speechless at the ring

"Yeah wow", Lorelai nodded and looked at her finger as well.

"This makes it all so real. You're really getting married", Rory said.

"Yeah it does, although after tonight it would have been pretty real anyway", Lorelai said and smiled again.

"Please", Rory replied and made a disgusted face.

"How was your night?" Lorelai just laughed.

"Homework", Rory shrugged.

"How many times did Dean call?"

"Not that many."

" How many?" she wanted to know the details.

"Three", Rory tried, but Lorelai gave her a doubtful look."...Five", she admitted.

"Not an all time high but very respectable. I'm going to bed. You staying here?" Lorelai asked and got off the couch.

"Yeah. I'm comfortable. I've got the pillows in a perfect mushed position", Rory replied.

"Ok. Night mom", Lorelai smiled and kissed her daughters forehead.

"Yeah, you just go think about what you've done", Rory told her in a warning tone and switched off the light again.

"Oh, we will", Lorelai grinned and wanted to hurry up the stairs and into the bedroom but Rory stopped her.

"Hey"

"What?" Lorelai stopped on the stairs and turned back, facing the dark living room.

"You look happy", Rory stated.

"I am kid", Lorelai told her.

"Just checking", Rory's voice came out of the darkness again and Lorelai continued her way up the stairs and into the bedroom. Luke was already in bed and Lorelai sighed when she saw him.

"What?" he asked when he heard her sigh and saw her put her hands on her hips.

"Why did you get dressed? We could have saved so much time", she said and closed the door behind her, then started to undress and just threw her clothes on the floor, before she got into bed completely naked.

"It's late… or early actually", Luke said when she straddled him and started to tug on his shirt.

"You really have low blood sugar", she grinned.

"I do not have low blood sugar!" he insisted.

"Then show me", she grinned and screamed in surprise when he flipped them over suddenly.

"Shh, be quiet, Rory is downstairs directly under us", he told her.

"Actually she is still in the living room", she smiled and pulled his shirt over his head.

"Then try to stay quiet", he ordered and got rid of his sweatpants.

"Ok, I can't guarantee anything though", she said and pulled down his boxers.

"Good enough", he decided and kissed her again.

"Ok, no more mushy talk.. more action.. got it", Lorelai smiled and then kissed him back as they were starting the next round.

**TBC **


	24. These small hours

_Huh, so I guess you didn't like the filler chapter… sorry for that._

_Now on with the story: I have been DYING to write the next few chapters since I started this story and you can't imagine how HUGE my smile is now I am finally able to present you the twists and turns of life… or Emily Gilmore in that case. Lay aside all kids of weapons, replace them with your PC instead and type me a review._

_Yours sincerely- the author who likes to tease her readers_

P.S: Huge "thank you-s" to _Sarah, Laura_ and _Franzi_ for their input on that chapter!

* * *

**Chapter 24: These small hours**

A few days later, it was another Friday, Friday the 13th to be exact, Lorelai and Rory were walking through Stars Hollow, on their way to get to the diner and were arguing who would have to clean out the fridge. Luke had refused to do it and not one of Lorelai's flirtatious ways had been successful to convince him otherwise.

Now neither of the two Gilmore girls wanted to clean out the fridge, because it was a disgusting thing to do: Old pizza, outdated mayonnaise and sour milk were standing next to each other in there waiting to be thrown out. Luke even refused to open the fridge, because the smell was so disgusting.

So as they played a new round of "Diseases of the Alphabet" Lorelai saw something in the town square.

"Puppies!!", she suddenly gasped and ran across the street, towards the cages with animals.

"That's not a disease. Oh boy", Rory muttered and then ran after her mother only to protect the poor animals.

"Hi! Oh hi! Hi! Oohh! Rory look at the baby", Lorelai greeted the cats and dogs and stopped in front of one cage.

"Mom", Rory sighed and tried to think of a plan how to get her mother away from the animals before she decided to buy one.

"Aw, Buttercup was found cold and wet hovering under a hydrangea bush along highway 26. It's a sad highway"; Lorelai read aloud what was printed on the tag attached to the cage door.

"As compare to all the other happy highways she could've been abandoned on", her daughter deadpanned and smiled when she saw Luke stomping out of the diner and towards them. Bless him, he always knew when to save them or the poor animals.

"Her lineage includes cocker spaniel, golden retriever, Bouvier des Flandres "; Lorelai went on, not noticing her nearing fiancé.

"Gesundheit", Rory added.

"Thank you and rottweiler", Lorelai finished the family tree of the dog.

"Buttercup is a special dog. She's extremely skittish and tends to react badly towards blonde haired females, brunette males, children of either sex, other animals, red clothing, cabbage or anyone in a uniform"; Rory went on and stopped when Luke reached them.

"Hey, we just found the doggy version of you", Lorelai grinned when he slung one arm around her waist and kissed him hello.

"Can I help you?" the sales person interrupted them before Luke could react to her teasing.

"Don't let these two anywhere near a dog. They can barely feed themselves", Luke told the man and gave both Lorelai and Rory a pointed look.

"No, we can't.. but you feed us, you can feed the dog", she grinned at him and gave him another peck. "And we'd be excellent pet owners, thank you", Lorelai told him.

"You cannot be serious", Rory told her. "Do I need to remind you of Skippy?" she asked when her mother started to pout.

"Skippy?" Luke asked.

"I can't believe you would bring up Skippy", Lorelai gasped.

"Skippy was our hamster", Rory started the story, but Lorelai interrupted her.

"He doesn't care".

"I care. What happened to Skippy?" Luke asked and lay a hand over Lorelai's mouth to shut her up.

"Every time mom would put her hand in his cage, he'd bite her", Rory said.

"And laugh", Lorelai threw in when she got his hand off of her mouth, by licking it. Luke took his hand away and wiped it dry on her shirt.

"You are disgusting and hamsters can't laugh", he said.

"Oh this one laughed trust me", she replied and grinned at him.

"So finally she got fed up", Rory went on.

"Of being laughed at by a hamster?" Luke asked.

"Well yeah", Lorelai shrugged and slung her arms around his waist.

"So she stopped cleaning its cage. Instead everyday she would stuff some Kleenex in there".

"You didn't", Luke asked.

"It was the quilted kind", Lorelai tried to defend herself with a small smile.

"So this keeps going on and the cage is just a cage full of Kleenex that moves a little, and the smell? Really good", Rory continued the story.

"I can imagine", Luke said.

"Oh no you can't", Lorelai laughed.

"Your fridge! I can imagine", Luke insisted.

"So then she takes the cage to the place where we bought him, waits for the sales guy to go behind the desk and dumps it on the counter then bolts", Rory finished the Skippy tale.

"You abandoned your hamster?" Luke asked her and raised his eyebrows.

"Look, I know it was bad, but this was a vicious hamster. This was like a Damien hamster with little beady eyes and a big forked tail and...a cape with a...hood...and…"she tried again to defend herself.

"Thank god we don't have kids", Luke exclaimed.

"Hey, I raised one!" Lorelai said and pointed to Rory.

"You're sure she never dumped you at a gas station or somewhere?" Luke asked Rory.

"She didn't. Yet she couldn't bring me back to where I came from, because Chris was never around", Rory grinned.

"True. But hey, I could dump our kids in the diner when they bite me or stink", Lorelai grinned at Luke. Rory wrinkled her forehead. That was the second time she heard them talking about hypothetical kids of their own.

"Can't wait for that", he replied sarcastically. "And no dog! I don't like dogs", he added.

"What's there not to like about dogs?" Lorelai asked him.

"They're dirty. They're a pain to train. They're a pain to wash. They bark when they shouldn't. They jump on you when you don't want them to. They chew things. They shed. They lick themselves. They make your car smell. They make your house smell. And they make you smell", Luke ranted.

"You know, I think it's very sad that you've lost the little boy in you", Lorelai sighed.

"The little boy didn't like dogs either", Luke shot back.

"Ok, ok, no dog…. But this kids thing will definitely be something to come back to once we're married, bucko", Lorelai said and kissed him again.

"I can live with that", he nodded and then excused himself, because he had to go back to the diner, while Lorelai and Rory took a moment longer to stay with the animals, yet didn't buy one.

"You did the right thing", Rory assured her mother when they walked to the diner after a few minutes.

"Oh. I want a pet", Lorelai pouted.

"You have me", Rory told her.

"You won't bring me my slippers in the morning", Lorelai argued.

"I might if you had slippers."

"Will you wear a collar?" Lorelai grinned.

"No", Rory shook her head.

"Then I guess Luke will have to. And it'll be pink!" Lorelai grinned even wider.

"You're sick", Rory shook her head.

"Hey watch how you talk to me. Remember what happened to Skippy", Lorelai warned her daughter when they entered the diner.

* * *

"Hey honey how much time do we have left?" Lorelai asked Luke when she walked into the bathroom that evening. Luke had just gotten out of the shower and was combing his hair. He only had a towel slung around his waist. 

"Another half hour I guess", he shrugged, put the brush aside and took the towel off. He grabbed his boxer shorts from the shelf where he had put them before his shower and stepped into them. "Why?" he asked.

"Because if you won't touch my hair we still have enough time for a quickie", Lorelai grinned and slung her arms around his naked waist.

"Sounds good, but because I can't guarantee anything I would say let's wait until we're back", he replied and kissed her for a moment, then stepped back and resumed dressing himself.

"But we haven't had a quickie since the day before yesterday in your apartment", she pouted.

"Yeah and you nearly got us caught because you started it in the store room during the lunch rush", Luke rolled his eyes.

"Hey, it's not my fault! Michel was bugging me at the Inn; I was on a caffeine high and a teeny tiny bit frisky. And then I came into the diner and there you were all energetic and beautiful and sexy as hell with that ordering pad stuck into the waistband of your jeans. I couldn't help myself. I just had to drag you behind the curtain and get it on", she grinned at the memory.

"Still, that was wrong on so many levels, I don't even know where to start", he told her and buttoned his dress shirt.

"I don't remember hearing you complain", she said and raised her eyebrows.

"How could I? You were all over me with your tongue in my mouth", he replied.

"Huh, so you didn't like it?" she asked and raised her eyebrows even further.

"I didn't say that", he whispered against her lips and then kissed her passionately.

"So no quickie now?" she mumbled and started to unbutton his shirt again.

"No quickie now", he shook his head and kissed her behind her left ear.

"Then you have to make it up to me later", she whispered and tilted her head to grant him better access.

"Looking forward to it", he replied and kissed back up to her lips and had her pressed up against the tile covered wall within seconds.

"Hey, you! Stop making out and come down! We have to be at the dinner in half an hour!" Rory yelled upstairs and interrupted them a few minutes later. With a sigh they parted, fixed their clothes and went downstairs.

* * *

The coats were hung up, the drinks drunk and the dinner served at the Gilmore mansion. Luke nd Lorelai were seated beside each other, Rory on the other side, while Richard and Emily sat at the heads of the table. 

Lorelai used the time in between the entrée and the main course to make Luke sweat, when she stroked his thigh and moved her hand upwards further and further under the table, while she chatted politely with her parents. At some point he caught her hand and gave her such an unnerved look, that even Emily had noticed it and he had to lie and make up a non-existing headache.

When the main course had finally arrived he was glad when Lorelai had to have both hands on the table and not underneath it.

"How's the squab?" Emily asked them

"It's good", both Rory and Luke replied.

"Lorelai?" her mother asked her.

"It's the best tiny, weird bird I have ever eaten", she replied.

"I'm glad", Emily nodded and still had that strange smile on her face that had irritated Lorelai all evening.

"Why are you smiling like that?" she finally asked her mother.

"What are you talking about?" Emily asked innocently.

"You're smiling".

"I'm happy", Emily shrugged nonchalantly.

"That's not your "I'm happy" smile", Lorelai insisted.

"Well what smile is it Lorelai?" her mother wanted to know.

"That's your "I've got something on Lorelai" smile", she replied.

"Luke your fiancé must be very tired", Emily told him.

"She works a lot", he dismissed it, but couldn't help but blush.

"I grew up with that smile - I know that smile", Lorelai insisted.

"Tell me about school", Emily turned her attention to Rory.

"Well, my French final went pretty well."

"You can't change the subject. I know the smile", Lorelai insisted.

"Whatever you say, dear", Emily still grinned.

"I've used it a few times myself", Lorelai went on.

"Mom", Rory sighed and begged her mother to stop it.

"So have you heard about that new investment possibility Luke?" Emily turned to him.

"New investment possibility? I'm afraid I haven't", Luke replied confused by the change of the topic.

"Well, I assumed because you're at the same bank they also called you and told you about this new investment fund. I don't know all the details, but Richard surely does and I'm sure he'll be able to tell you about it after dinner", Emily said.

"Of course I can, Emily dear. It would also enable you to franchise the diner, Luke. I know you can afford three or four more shops at once at the moment, but if this investment is really as profitable as it sounds, then you could conquer the rest of the States within a few months. I know five hundred-thousand is a risky sum, but it'll be worth it in the end", Richard told Luke.

"Five hundred-thousand dollars?" Luke asked them incredulously.

"Mom, Dad, do you want to ruin Luke for the rest of his life? Think about your possible future grandchildren who all have to eat something, have clothes and go to school. We can't take a loan of five hundred thousand dollars, just to make a possible good investment", Lorelai jumped in.

"Why would you possibly need a loan for that? We just thought it might be a good investment for the money Luke inherited from his grandparents", Emily told her daughter.

"You have money?" Lorelai asked Luke surprised.

"No I don't", he shook his head and wiped his mouth with the napkin.

"Of course you do. Mitsy O Neil told me back then that your grandparents money was given to you and your sister after your grandmother died", Emily insisted, the smile still on her face.

"Yeah, that's true. Liz and I inherited my grandparent's fortune when we turned twenty-one. I didn't know what to do with it, because by then I had the diner already, so I just kept in my bank account, waiting until I knew what to do with it. When Liz turned twenty one two years later, she knew what to do not only with her part, but also with my part and spent it on dope, cars, clothes, shoes, booze and her boyfriends", Luke told them and Emily's smile vanished.

"Over two million dollars?" Emily shrieked.

"No, just five hundred thousand. The rest of the money that jerk stole out of her bank account when he left her and Liz was too stoned to notice. When she did he was long gone and so was our money", Luke finished his story and shrugged. It wasn't like he could change the past.

"So you don't have any money?" Emily wanted to know.

"I have some money. The diner is going very well and I don't need much money for myself so I saved some. I mean I can provide for us, even if Lorelai decided to stop working", he said.

"Which I won't", Lorelai added.

"Yeah, which she won't. So with two incomes it's really no big deal to think about marriage and so on. We're fine", he reassured Emily and tried to wipe the concerned and icy look off her face. It didn't work though.

"Yet your grandparent's money is gone?" Richard wanted to make sure he had heard right.

"Yeah and by the way I remember that guy I would say he smoked every cent of it", Luke said and Lorelai gave his hand a squeeze.

The rest of the dinner passed nearly in complete silence and even Lorelai's jokes from time to time didn't help.

* * *

When the door closed behind them Luke, Lorelai and Rory stood baffled in the driveway. Lorelai then took a deep breath and followed Rory to the car, pulled Luke by the hand to follow her. 

"God, that was like hell froze in a matter of seconds", Lorelai quipped when they climbed into the jeep.

"You know maybe we should think about this kids thing again. I mean you're mother might be right: Kids are expensive. I couldn't provide for Rory's school now, so how can we be sure I could for another kid a few years from now", Luke worried.

"Honey, don't let them get to you. We're fine, Rory is cared for the second we are married and the rest will come with time, ok? Stop worrying." Lorelai told him and squeezed his hand.

"Ok… And I mean.. two hundred thousand bucks of saving aren't that little, right?!" Luke asked.

"You have two hundred thousand dollars saved?" Lorelai asked him when he started the jeep, and even Rory was speechless.

"Yeah, I mean I can't use them now, because I invested them in funds that will be paid out in a few years, but yes, theoretically I have that money", he shrugged.

"We really need to get a joined bank account as soon as possible. All the Jimmy Choo's I'll be able to buy then…", she grinned and winked at Rory.

"You wish", Luke only said and pulled out of the Gilmore's driveway, while they were all laughing and Lorelai leaned over and kissed his cheek, overcome with affection for her fiancé.

Little did they know that inside the Gilmore mansion decisions were made that would soon burst their bubble of joy not only with a plop, but with a loud BOOM.

Instead they were listening to Rob Thomas. "_O__ur lives are made in these small hours. These little wonders, these twists and turns of fate. Time falls away, in these small hours, these small hours still remain…"_

**TBC**


	25. Movie night without tongue

_Because I have the next chapter ready already, and it took me a while to write that other one, I decided to update faster. Don't get used to it! This is still unbetaed because of my fast updates. I will exchange the files as soon as possible._

_Backpacking Europe will also get an update today or tomorrow. One thing about that: I appreciate your reviews a lot, but please leave them over there in the guestbook and don't send them to me here vie review or pm, because then the others who worked on theis project don't see them and that's not fair._

_With a death wish and waiting for my execution- your reviews-_

_ karana_

_Dialogue borrowed from 1.07: Kiss and tell_

* * *

**Chapter 25:**** Movie night without tongue**

The next morning Lorelai woke up naked again, something she had gotten used to since their first time above the diner. They just couldn't keep their hands off each other and Luke had already wondered how long their lovers high would possibly last, because he had already had to take a nap one day during his diner shift because he had been so tired and Lorelai's coffee consumption had increased dramatically- something nobody had thought was possible.

She stretched, yawned and rolled over on her side, only to find the other side of the bed unoccupied. She remembered that Luke had mumbled something the night before about opening the diner, but she had been pleasantly distracted and hadn't really listened to what he had said. She pouted and snuggled up to his pillow, but then her rumbling stomach reminded her that she was really hungry and really tired- she needed coffee, she needed food and she needed Luke- so where else to get that all at once than the diner?

She got out of bed with another yawn, took some clothes out of the closet and then trudged into the bathroom as naked as she was. She took a quick shower, hurried to blow dry her hair and pulled it up in a loose pony-tail when it wasn't really all dry yet. Before she dressed she made sure to use the body lotion Luke loved so much on her. After she had applied a discrete make-up she walked downstairs to wake up Rory, but she found her daughter already awake in the living room, reading a book.

"Hey babe. Isn't it a bit early for some heavy reading?" she asked her and placed a kiss on her daughter's forehead.

"I couldn't sleep anymore when I heard Luke in the kitchen, so I decided to get up and use the time to read one of the books for school. And actually it's pretty good, so that's ok. I wanted to know anyway what would happen", Rory replied.

"You're coming with me? I'm on my way to the diner to get breakfast, because my own stomach woke me up", Lorelai asked her.

"Sure, I could use a cup of coffee as well", Rory shrugged and closed her book and put the blanket aside while her mother had put on her shoes and her jacket already and waited in the door to the hallway for her daughter to get up and get ready. However Rory seemed distracted somehow and Lorelai could see that she was thinking about something.

"Hey mom, can I talk to you for a second?" Rory asked though before Lorelai could ask her what was wrong with her.

"Sure, grab your coat and your shoes and we'll talk on the way to the diner", Lorelai replied and swayed back and forth impatiently.

"Uhm, could we talk here? I think that's more a talk for inside.. you know without any other people listening", Rory said.

"Honey, what's wrong?" Lorelai worried immediately and hurried over to her daughter and sat down beside her.

"Nothing's wrong really. It's just that I am wondering", she started and then stopped, fidgeted a bit and concentrated on her hands.

"About what?" her mother asked.

"It's just that yesterday you mentioned kids again and I wanted to ask you, but we were never alone…so…. I mean not any kids, like in "Oh look at those kids over there, aren't they cute", but in the "Luke and I are going to have kids" kind of way. So, I am wondering, if you're just hypothetically speaking, or if this is something which will happen really soon. How many kids do you want and do you want them in a few years or are you already pregnant and just scared to tell me? Are you in "production mode" or…" Rory rambled and Lorelai interrupted her and put her hand on her daughters fidgeting hands.

"Hey, take a deep breath and calm down", she smiled slightly at her daughter's outburst. "I am not pregnant and we are not in "production mode", as you so nicely put it", she clarified and Rory calmed down immediately. "But yes, Luke and I agreed on more kids", she went on and Rory looked up at her and seemed a bit shell-shocked.

"Wow", she said quietly.

"Yeah wow. But hey, you don't seem happy or excited", Lorelai said and nudged her.

"Mmh.. I guess I just never thought about it, about you having more kids… future siblings. And then with Luke. I mean can you picture Luke as a dad, changing diapers and feeding bottles in the middle of the night?" she asked.

"Actually yeah, I can. I saw so many of his hidden sides since he moved in, that I can picture him perfectly with a baby. I bet he would make a great father", Lorelai admitted quietly to her daughter and a small smile appeared on her face when she thought about Luke and their future children.

"How many kids do want? Or is kids just the collective word and we're actually speaking about an undefined number?" Rory asked her next question.

"We haven't really talked about the specifics yet, but personally I think one or two would be nice. A son for him to play baseball with and a daughter he could teach to cook, but I dunno. I guess we have to wait and see how it goes, decide when the time comes. So far we only agreed on having kids without actually discussing it. It came up once and we both said something like "You would be a good parent- No, you would be a good parent" and then we both nodded and smiled and that was that", Lorelai shrugged as she explained the situation to her daughter.

"Wow again… two siblings. I guess I just have to wrap my mind around that. I always thought I would grow up an only child just with you here, because it's been just us for so long. But now Luke is living here and you're getting married and you're talking about kids. Hey isn't the house a bit small for kids… in plural?" Rory added.

"Huh, never thought of that. But we could always remodel and add some rooms, or move, buy a new house... build a new one… now that we have Luke's fortune save, I guess we can go crazy", she joked and winked at Rory.

"So a lot of changes ahead, huh?" Rory asked and didn't smile back.

"Yeah, but I think they are all good changes, don't you agree?" Lorelai asked her and started to get worried. Rory didn't seem happy or excited about siblings or remodelling the house. What if she didn't want all that?

"I do. I do agree. It's just a bit overwhelming at the moment and it's all happening so fast. One minute there's just us living here and then grandma pulls this trick and the next minute you and Luke are all over each other and talking about kids and marriage and remodelling the house", Rory replied honestly.

"Good, I'm glad that you're not against it. Honey if you have any doubts about any of the stuff we talked about then tell me, ok? I need to know that, because I want you to be happy and feel comfortable at home, all right?" Lorelai asked her and lay one arm over her daughters shoulders.

"Sure, I will. That's why I asked you. And while we are talking: Can't you talk to Luke so he'll be a bit nicer to Dean? Dean is scared to go come here or just walk by the diner by a hundred metres radius, because he fears that Luke will beat him up, for whatever reason. I told him that Luke is not an aggressive guy, but Dean said he doesn't really trust Luke's self restrain when it comes to him", Rory told her mother and slung her arm around her mother's shoulder as well.

"Yeah Dean is a sore point with Luke, because he thinks Dean is trouble and that whole falling asleep in the studio thing didn't really change his opinion. But maybe if he gets to know him better, he will change his opinion?", Lorelai said and got off the couch and pulled Rory up with her.

"How can he get to know him, if Dean runs into the other direction when he sees Luke?" Rory asked Lorelai and put on her coat and her shoes.

"We could make a movie night with the two of them. I keep Luke close to me to make sure he doesn't kill Dean and if it gets too much, I just kiss him until he forgets about his anger", Lorelai suggested.

"Sounds good. But please without tongue", Rory added.

"Where's the fun in that?" Lorelai giggled when they left the house. "Hey, so you ask Dean and I decide for Luke and then we'll have the movie night tonight?" Lorelai asked.

"Deal", Rory nodded and together they headed to the diner.

* * *

Meanwhile at the Gilmore mansion breakfast was nearly over already and while Richard was trying to concentrate on his newspaper Emily was starring off into space while she stirred her coffee without stopping.

"Emily?" Richard said, but his wife didn't react. "Emily!" he said louder again and she finally focused on him.

"What?" she just asked.

"Would you stop stirring your coffee? It's driving me crazy and I am worried your cup will lose its bottom if you keep stirring like that", Richard said and pointed to her cup. Confused she looked to her cup and realized for the first time that she really was stirring her coffee. She stopped and put the spoon aside.

"Sorry," she muttered, still deep in thought.

"You don't have to do it, dear", Richard said, because he knew what was troubling his wife. They had both been shocked by Luke's admission that he didn't have his grandparent's money anymore and Emily had gone into frenzy the second the door had closed behind Lorelai, Luke and Rory.

First she had been upset about the fact that stupid Liz had spent the money on drugs and men and that Luke hadn't prevented it. Then she had been saddened by the fact that Luke had lost so much money and had so little education because he had chosen to help his father. And then she had come to the bottom of it: Her worry for Lorelai and Rory. She wanted them to be happy and have everything they wanted. She wanted them to be cared for and looked after and she had always thought that Luke would be the best man for that.

However now he was poor and what use was there for a poor man? Sure, as a friend he might be acceptable, barely so, but it would be ok, but a husband for her daughter and stepfather for her grand-daughter? No way!

Not even Emily's friendship to Luke's mother could make her accept such a union.

"It was my fault, Richard. I forced them together and now I have to fix this before Lorelai and Rory get severely hurt by this", she admitted.

"They seemed perfectly happy to me when they were here yesterday evening", Richard shrugged and put his newspaper down and looked intently at his wife.

"For now. Lorelai may think that this is what she wants, that he is what she wants, but what is a few years from now when he is still working day and night at the diner? What if, god forbid, they will have kids and she has to stay home? He can barely dress himself properly with his low income, how should he support a whole family?" she asked and shook her head." No, this has to end, I have to end it. I came up with this stupid plan because I let myself be led by the outrageous dream we had as girls, but I am not going to let my daughter be hurt because of my own foolishness", she decided.

"I'm fine with that, if you can sleep better at night then, dear", Richard just said and went back to his lecture of the financial times.

* * *

"So you promise that you will leave the poor boy alone?" Lorelai asked Luke later that night while she straddled him on the couch and kept nibbling on his lip.

"Yeah I promise", he muttered with closed eyes and gave into her ministrations by putting his hands into the back pockets of her jeans.

"It means a lot to Rory that this evening is going well and so it also means a lot to me, which means it should mean a lot to you", she told him and smoothed his hair out.

"Yeah ok", he muttered again and then claimed her mouth his again when he pressed his lips on hers and pressed her body against his.

"He's coming", Rory suddenly said and burst into the living-room, interrupting them. "Jeez, stop making out, Dean is on his way", she said again and shook her head. With a sigh Lorelai got off Luke's lap and straightened her clothes.

"I hate him", Luke muttered when he opened his eyes and looked up at Lorelai.

"Oh hon', we will continue this later in the NC-17 version, k?" she laughed when she saw the disappointed look on his face.

"I'm sorry I'm late. I got here like a half hour ago", Dean excused himself when he entered the house and looked a bit frightened when he saw Luke on the couch.

"We believe you", Rory nodded and took his jacket from him.

"We'd believe you if you said you got here three hours ago", Lorelai added and nudged Luke when he remained quiet.

"Yeah yeah I believe it as well", he grumbled.

"OK. So this is the living room where we do our living and, um, upstairs is my room and the good bathroom. And the...kitchen is right through here. You ever heard a fridge yodel before?" Lorelai asked when the rest didn't say anything for a while and an uncomfortable silence began to form. "Well you have your basics: microwave for popcorn, stove for storing shoes, refrigerator, which is completely worthless," she went on and ignored Luke's scowl.

"Interesting", Dean nodded to be polite.

"So are you hungry?" Lorelai asked him then and they all made their way into the kitchen.

"Starving", he nodded.

"Where's the pizza?" Rory asked confused when she looked round the room and couldn't find it.

"The pizza's, uh..:" Lorelai wondered and turned around one time, but couldn't see it. "Hon' where's the pizza?" she asked and turned to Luke.

"Still in the oven, but it should be ready by now", he replied and went and took the pizza out of the oven.

"I thought you ordered the pizza! You made it yourself?" Lorelai asked him stunned.

"It's better and healthier. I don't know what kind of crap Al puts on his pizza", Luke grumbled and placed the hot pizza on the counter.

"You're the best", Lorelai gushed and kissed Luke soundly on the lips. Rory who had seen this coming pulled Dean into her room.

"So and this is my room", she said quickly, ignored his confused look and kept glancing over his shoulder, checking when Luke and Lorelai would be done kissing.

"How long have they been married?" Dean whispered when he had looked around in her room.

"They are not married- they will be soon though", Rory whispered back, a bit flustered.

"Ah, that explains", Dean chuckled and waited patiently until Luke and Lorelai were done.

* * *

A while later Dean and Rory were sitting on the living room floor, while Luke and Lorelai sat on the couch, all four were eating pizza, while watching a movie.

"Who needs more?", Lorelai asked and pointed to the last pizza slices.

"I do", Rory said and grabbed one more slice.

" Wow. You can eat", Dean remarked.

"Yes I can. Oh that's bad isn't it?" Rory asked him.

"No, uh, most girls don't eat. It's good you eat", Dean explained quickly when he saw Luke's look.

"I'm all for it", Lorelai nodded and took one more slice herself. She waved it around in front of Luke's mouth until he took a bite and then bit into it herself.

"Let's talk about something besides my eating habits, shall we?" Rory asked.

"Oooh -- Oompa Loompas!" Lorelai exclaimed.

"My mom has a thing for the Oompa Loompas", Rory said.

"I don't think finding them amusing constitutes a thing", Lorelai said and looked at Luke who raised his eyebrows.

"No, but having a recurring dream about marrying one does", Rory grinned.

"Don't even get me started on your Prince Charming crush, OK? At least my obsessions are alive. You have a thing for a cartoon", Lorelai defended herself and then looked at Luke again, who just grinned at her. "You're way hotter than the Oompa Loompas hon'", she said and pecked him on the lips before she snuggled up to him and he wrapped his arms around her.

"Ooh, Prince Charming, huh?" Dean grinned at Rory meanwhile.

"It was a long time ago. And not the Cinderella one, the Sleeping Beauty one", Rory clarified.

"'Cause he could dance", Dean grinned knowingly.

"Yeah", Rory nodded surprised.

"I've got sisters", Dean explained and on they went with their movie night.

* * *

An hour later Luke and Lorelai had never made it back from bringing popcorn and Lorelai had distracted Luke by sitting down in his lap and making out with him in the kitchen, so the teens would have some time for themselves. She was only hoping that they wouldn't do the same as Luke and herself, because if Luke caught them with Dens tongue down Rory's throat she knew she couldn't guarantee for the boy's safety anymore.

"Mom! Luke!" Rory suddenly burst into the kitchen and interrupted them for the second time that day.

"What?" Lorelai asked innocently and kept her arms around Luke's neck, while Luke blushed a deep shade of red.

"What are you doing in here?" Rory asked them.

"Trying to find the best bathing suit for my bust size?" Lorelai asked innocently and ignored Luke's obligatory "Ah Jeez".

"Well get back in there!" Rory ordered.

"Why? What happened? Did the bag boy try something?" Luke said and shot out of the chair.

"He's sitting in there and he's watching the movie and he's perfect and he smells really good", Rory told them

"What?" Luke asked confused, waiting for the part for which he could punch the boy and kick him out.

"He smells really good and he looks amazing and I am stupid. I said 'thank you.' ", Rory babbled.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. You said 'thank you?'" Lorel asked her daughter confused and took Luke's hand to keep him from rushing into the living-room for whatever reason.

"When he kissed me", Rory replied.

"He kissed you again? What is he just out of prison or something? I'm gonna kill him", Luke exclaimed and wanted to walk over into the living room, but Lorelai pulled him back to her.

"No, not now. At the store", Rory clarified.

"Oh, all right. Strike the prison comment. He kissed you and you said 'thank you?'" Lorelai said and gave Luke a pointed look.

"Yes", her daughter nodded.

"Well that was very polite", Lorelai said.

"No, it was stupid. And I don't know what I'm doing here. You're sitting in the kitchen. What kind of chaperones are you?" Rory exclaimed.

"Me? I'm not trying to be a chaperone. I'm trying to be a girlfriend and fiancée", she grinned at Luke.

"Well switch gears, 'cause I'm freaking out here!" Rory said desperately.

"You really like him, don't you?" Luke asked suddenly.

"Yeah", Rory nodded.

"Well, OK, then. Just calm down", Lorelai smiled.

"I just don't want to do or say anything else that's gonna be remotely moronic", Rory said.

"I'm afraid once your heart is involved it all comes out in Moron", Lorelai replied and gave Luke's hand a squeeze.

"Just please come back in", Rory begged.

"OK. Let's go then", Lorelai nodded and they walked together back into the hallway when Rory stopped.

"Wait we can't go back in together though because that would be too obvious", she said.

"All right. OK. I'll go in first and you go to the bathroom", Lorelai shrugged.

"OK. Good. Tell him I had to wash my face", Rory nodded and hurried off to the bathroom. She was just one when the doorbell rang.

"I get the door you go into the living-room and please don't kill him or scare him away please", Lorelai told Luke, gave him another peck on the lips and pushed him into the living-room.

" Hi. I'm back. Rory went to wash her face, Lorelai got the door", Luke said uncomfortable.

"Oh, OK", Dean said and looked scared.

Dean. I don't know exactly how to say this, but, um, this is a very different kind of household you walked into tonight.

"Ah...here comes the talk", Dean said, but then quieted when he saw Luke's look.

"How about I talk, you listen? Rory is a smart kid. She's never been much for guys so the fact that she likes you means a lot. I don't believe she'd waste her time with some loser. But I am watching you! The whole damn town is watching you. That girl in there is beloved around here. You hurt her, there's not a safe place within a hundred miles for you to hide. I will find you and then I will kill you, slowly and painfully. Got me?"" Luke asked him.

"You're clear", he nodded.

"Good". Luke said satisfied and stopped when Lorelai came back in.

"Luke could you come out with me for a sec?" she asked and looked confused.

"Sure", he said and got up, throw her a questioning glance.

"My mother is here", she whispered to him when he met her by the doorway.

"What is she doing here that time of the night?" he whispered back.

"I don't know. She says she wants to talk with us and I can tell you that doesn't give me a warm feeling", Lorelai said. "She's up to something, I know it!" she told him and he just took her hand in his and interlaced their fingers as an answer.

**TBC**


	26. Over

_I am bored what can I say._

_Ah yeah, I know what I wanted to say! I wanted to reply to some of the (spare) reviews: People, what are you thinking? Of course Emily could never break them up! As you will see she is just coming over to wish them a good night, nothing more nothing less. I think when you look at the anvils it's obvious that that's what's going to happen in this chapter._

_Lyrics by Juli_

* * *

**Chapter 26: Over**

"Hey Emily", Luke greeted her, but she didn't reply, while looking at their joined hands.

"This has to end", she cut straight to the point.

"What?" Luke asked.

"If you're talking about late night visits, I agree", Lorelai told her, deciding that aggression was the best defence.

"This engagement", Emily clarified and pointed to Lorelai's ring.

"You want us to get married now? Ok, give us a second, I'll grab a dress, Luke will get his suit and we're off to Vegas", Lorelai shrugged unimpressed.

"You are not getting married! I want this thing over. Luke you will move out tonight", Emily told them.

"You're kidding me right? Are you drunk? Too many sleeping pills? Mom, this whole thing was your idea", Lorelai said and grasped Luke's hand tighter.

"I changed my mind. I don't want you two married or engaged. In fact I don't want you even near each other, otherwise we won't be paying for Chilton anymore", Emily made herself clear and both Luke and Lorelai stared at her, not believing what they were hearing.

"Ah I get it. Good joke, mom", Lorelai laughed while Luke was still too stunned to react.

"I am not joking, Lorelai. I am dead serious", Emily insisted.

"Wait, let me get this right: You told me that we have to get married immediately. In fact, if we wouldn't have asked to prolong the time we already would be married", Lorelai started.

"Oh thank god for that", Emily remarked.

"You forced Luke to move in here and now you're telling us, that all this doesn't count anymore, because you changed your mind?" Lorelai asked.

"Yes", Emily just nodded.

"You can't break us up anymore, mother. We're together now. In a non-forced way. We're happy, we're in love and there's no way we will ever break up again", Lorelai said louder.

"Lorelai, I am not here to discuss this. I am sorry that I got you into this situation to begin with, but my condition has changed. I see that you think you're in love with Luke, but I also believe that once he's gone, you'll see that the both of you were just putting too much imagination into this whole thing, because it's more romantic to be in love with your husband", Emily replied.

"Mom, we are NOT breaking up!" Lorelai yelled, wanting her mother to understand that.

"Luke has to move back into his apartment and you have to break up, otherwise we will stop paying for Chilton immediately", Emily said.

"Why? What have I done to you that you've decided to play such cruel games with me, mother? What have I done? What has Luke done? Why do you just have to ruin everything for me again? Tell me because I don't get why you hate me this much", Lorelai asked desperately when she understood that her mother wasn't joking.

"I do not hate you. I only want what's best for you and I thought Luke was what's best for you, but now the situation has changed and I had to see that I was wrong. I'm sorry"; Emily said and sounded honest with what she said.

"It's about the money", Luke said quietly. "It's about my grandparent's money, right? You only wanted me to marry Lorelai because you thought I had millions in my bank account", he concluded and gripped Lorelai's hand tighter. "It was never about my mother's letter", he added.

"I am honestly sorry that the dream your mother and I had can't come true, Lukas, but I have to think of my daughter and my granddaughter first. I will not jeopardize their happiness because of a foolish girls dream", she said. "I will make sure by tomorrow that everything is corrected again and I am sorry for the late night disturbance. Good night Lorelai, good night Lukas", she said then and got into her car and drove off, while Luke and Lorelai still stood shocked on the porch.

Luke was the first one to recover slightly and he pulled Lorelai against him, hugged her tightly and buried his face in her hair. "What should we do?"

"I will never break up with you. No way", Lorelai mumbled in to his chest.

"I don't think we have much of a choice", Luke said quietly and pressed a kiss in her hair. Lorelai pulled back from him suddenly. She was furious now; she wouldn't stand here and accept that her mother would break them up.

"No! No way I am letting you go! You will stay with me! You will live right here and we will get married. I don't give a damn what my mother has to say to that", she yelled at him and then stormed inside the house, passed Rory and Dean in the living room and ran up the stairs.

"Lorelai! Lorelai", Luke yelled and hurried after her.

"I'm sorry, Dean, but I guess something happened and my mom is so irrational when she's like that. I guess I should go and see what's wrong", Rory turned to her boyfriend when she heard the slamming doors upstairs.

"Hey, no, it's ok. Really", Dean said and gave her a soft kiss before he got up and left the house and Rory slowly made her way upstairs.

"She can't force us to do that, Luke, she just can't" Lorelai yelled.

"Lorelai we had this exact talk a while ago when she forced us to move in together and to get married. And even back then we agreed that she has the power to force us", Luke said. Lorelai was standing on one side of the bed, he on the other.

"So what? You want to just move out, forget about all the plans we made, forget about everything we shared and then go back to your former life without me?" she cried desperately.

"What choice do we have, Lorelai? Tell me a way to get out of this and I'll stay. I'll marry you right this second, but we don't have a choice. She played this cruel trick on us and now she's decided that she wants us separated", Luke told her.

"What? Luke.. no" Rory said when she entered the room, having heard their conversation, but the two adults ignored her. They were too caught up in their own turmoil to listen to her.

"Luke, you can't leave us", Lorelai said, her voice hoarse from the screaming.

"Lorelai, we can't jeopardize Rory's education", Luke said equally quiet.

"No, don't do this because of me! I don't need to go to Chilton! I can go back to Stars Hollow High", Rory said upset and grabbed Luke's arm, while the adults were staring at each other, seeming to have a silent conversation with their eyes.

"Rory, you love this school. You learn so much there and it's the first step to achieve your dream and go to Harvard. Your grandmother tries to do what she thinks is best for you and your mother, in her own weird way. I'm sure she never meant any harm, she thought I could support you and care for you. But now that she knows that the money is gone, she changed her mind. We're not getting married"; Luke told the teen with all the self-control he had. It killed him inside to defend Emily and try to find an explanation for her behaviour. Yet he knew that this was the right thing to do. It was his job to care for them as much as it was Emily's, because he loved them both with all his heart. He couldn't let it happen that Rory wouldn't get the education she deserved. He would always blame himself for being selfish, if he let it happen and made Rory go back to Stars Hollow High. And he also knew that Lorelai wouldn't be able to deal with it. She would blame herself, she would blame him and at some time she would start to hate both him and herself for letting it happen.

"I'm going back to my apartment now. I'll get my stuff while you're at work tomorrow", he said and left the room and the house without another glance back at Lorelai, he wouldn't be able to walk away then.

"No", Lorelai whispered and her eyes filled with tears. This just couldn't be true. A few minutes ago she'd been making out with Luke in the kitchen and now he was breaking up with her, because of her stupid mother? She pinched her thigh to make sure she wasn't caught in a nightmare. When Rory came and hugged her, crying as well, she knew that this was real. Luke was gone, her mother had won again.

"I'm sure he'll think about it again, mom. He's just shocked; he doesn't know what to do. I'll talk to him and I'll talk to grandma. I'll fix this, trust me. He'll be back and you'll get married", Rory sobbed, while she tried to soothe her mother. Lorelai remained silent. She wasn't able to fully understand what had happened. She wanted Luke, she wanted him to come back and fight for her, for them. Yet she knew that he wouldn't come back, not today and not tomorrow. Emily had won. Lorelai broke down crying angrily.

* * *

Lorelai didn't sleep that night. She tossed and turned, she cried, she refused to believe it. At five o' clock in the morning she had decided that she wouldn't let her mother take Luke away from her. She would talk to him again when they had both calmed down and rationally they would find a solution. They had always found solutions together and this wouldn't be an exception. And after that she would tell her parents to go to hell and leave her alone, she was done with them.

Finally around five she fell into a troubled sleep and awoke two hours later, but at least she had slept. She stared up at the ceiling, felt as empty as she ever had before.

Yet she was surer than ever that she would talk to Luke, to make him see that there was a solution. They just had to find it.

* * *

Luke hadn't slept that night either. He hadn't really understood yet that he had broken off the engagement to Lorelai. Every time he opened his eyes during the night he thought he would find Lorelai beside him, sleeping peacefully in their bed. He could see her hair fan out over the pillows, feel her hand on his chest and breathe tickle his cheek. He could hear her babbling and smell her hair. Yet when his eyes got used to the dark he saw that he was lying in the bed in his former apartment and Lorelai wasn't there. Their house was her house again, his old apartment his current apartment and their future together had vanished.

He stared up at the ceiling and heard the sounds from outside that had become unfamiliar during the last weeks.

Early in the morning he sat up in bed and just looked around. He saw her coffee cup on the counter, her shirt thrown over the armchair by the window. He knew her shampoo and toothpaste were still in the bathroom and a pair of fresh underwear could be found in his closet behind his old T-shirts.

This had been their little love-nest for more than one occasion and now he was back to living here. By the door the Christmas tree Lorelai had put up was sparkling and Luke buried his face in his hands he wouldn't allow himself to cry.

Lorelai and Rory weren't dead. They weren't gone forever and he would see them again. He would talk to them and laugh with them. He would still repair their stuff and he would be there for them no Emily Gilmore could stop him from doing that.

For the first time in a long time he wished his mother was still alive. He knew they had been best friends and he was sure his mother would have been able to change Emily's mind. Maybe he would have gotten to know Lorelai sooner. Liz wouldn't have lost the money and he and Lorelai would already be married, live in a nice house and wouldn't have a care in the world, other than what he should cook when their kids came home from school or where to go for the holidays.

She would have stopped Emily, he knew it. How could his mother have been friends with Emily? Had Emily changed so much?

He suddenly heard the door lock click and the door open and found Lorelai standing in the doorway, wearing an old pair of jeans and his shirt.

Without saying something she walked over to him, sat down in his lap and wrapped her arms around him.

"I couldn't sleep", she said buring her face in his neck and breathed him in.

"Me either", he sighed and pulled her closer. "What are you doing here?" he asked her then. "If your mother finds out you're here Rory can't go to Chilton anymore".

"I don't care about my mother. I just want you to come home", she replied.

"Lorelai, we can't do that", he said and pushed her slowly away from him. "You know that I love you and I hope you know how much I would love to go back home with you and continue the life we had for the past months, but I can't," he said.

"Rory says she doesn't want to go to Chilton anymore. She says she'd rather have you home than go to some fancy school", Lorelai replied.

"You might not see that now, but in a few years when Rory applies for College and she needs to get letters of recommendation from all the good universities, because she only went to Stars Hollow High, you will start to blame yourself and you will start to blame me for being so selfish and I couldn't stand that", he told her and looked into her eyes.

"Maybe we could meet here, have a clandestine affaire, which nobody knows about, not even my mother. I could come here late at night and leave in the wee hours of the morning?" Lorelai told him a random possibility that had come to mind the night before.

"That would never work. Somebody would see you. And we already tried to find out who is her spy, but we never found out. It's too risky", he said and shook his head.

"But Luke…we just can't break up", she said and sounded desperate.

"I thought about this as well last night and there's only one thing that makes sense", he told her.

"Elope?" she asked hopefully.

"No, we'll separate for as long as Rory goes to Chilton or we will find another way to get the money. As soon as she's out we'll get married", he said.

"That's in three years!" Lorelai cried out.

"I know. But hey, we waited this long to get together, what's another three years?" he tried to cheer her up, but wasn't convinced himself.

"Three years! That's forever Luke. I don't want to pine for you three more years. What's if you meet somebody else in the meantime? Or my mother comes up with more conditions and you have to sell the diner, move to Europe or shoot yourself?"

"I won't shoot myself, but I guess waiting is the only way there is", he said. Lorelai looked him in the eyes and recognized that determined look in his eyes. He wouldn't change his mind, she could see it.

She bit her lower lip when her eyes filled with tears and looked down so he wouldn't see it. He caught her chin with his hand though and made her look at him. "You better go home now", he said quietly and pressed his lips against her forehead. He knew if he really kissed her, he wouldn't be able to send her away. His lips lingered and a sob broke free from her. She nodded. Then got up and slowly left his apartment, went out the backdoor through which she had already come and still heard the sound of something crashing into the door upstairs.

In the blind fury which had overtaken him Luke had thrown the lamp on his nightstand into the door and the glass with "Office" had burst into little pieces.

_Your skin gets cold  
Your eyes get unseeing  
Your breathing gets silent  
Your head gets heavy  
What broke you so?  
What hurt you so?  
What frazzled you and your life like this?  
What broke you so?  
What are my words for when you can't hear them?  
What is my love for when you don't feel it?  
Why can't we both face the truth? _

* * *

Rory had heard the front door close a while ago and thought that Lorelai had brought Luke home. She was afraid to go upstairs and find them in a compromising situation, but when her mother wasn't back down by noon and she couldn't hear any sounds from upstairs she decided to go and check on them.

The door was closed and she slowly opened it, looked in with one eye, because she thought whatever they were doing in there wouldn't scar her for life then, but to her surprise her mother was alone. She lay on her side, rolled into a ball and she could see her shoulders shaking from sobs. She opened both eyes and then hurried inside.

"Mom, didn't you talk to him? I thought you went to Luke when you left so early this morning?" she asked and sat down on the bed.

"I did. He said we should wait for three years. He said he wouldn't risk anything, he doesn't want to risk your education. He said we would blame him a few years from now", Lorelai sobbed.

"But that's stupid", Rory said and placed a hand on her mother's shoulder.

"He's right. You should go to Chilton. But I should have seen this coming. I knew she was up to something and I knew she hated it when he said he didn't have money. I should have suspected something like this", Lorelai went on.

"Mom, none of this is your fault. The only one responsible for all this is grandma", Rory said.

"You know for the first time in my life I thought she might have done something for me. Once I understood that I loved him, I thought that this could be a great thing. Intentionally or unintentionally she brought us together and made us see what was right there. I thought about thanking her for that and then she goes and destroys it all, only because he doesn't have millions of dollars in his bank account", Lorelai cried. "She's his godmother and all she cares about is his bank account. She's not only ruining my life, but also the life of her best friend's son. How much lower can it get?" Lorelai was sniffing and hick-upping and sobbing.

"Oh mom", Rory said sympathetically, not sure what she could do. She was so sad herself, but even more angry, but she couldn't scream or cry now, because her mother needed her. "Mom. This isn't good. Come on. Try to sit up", she said and tried to pull her mother up, but it wasn't working.

"He said it was too risky to continue this in secret because we don't know who her spy is".

"We'll find him or her".

"He said we'll get married in three years. But what if he finds somebody else in the meantime? Someone without a crazy mother who is blackmailing them?" Lorelai cried.

"He waited forever for you. He's not just going to walk away", Rory tried to reassure her.

"It's over", Lorelai said with a finality in her voice that scared Rory.

"Mom, this isn't you. Lying in bed like this. You should be up", Rory said.

"He was the one", she sobbed.

"We'll find a solution. Shh. Try to sleep", Rory said and stroked over her mother's hair to soothe her. She had never seen her like this and it really scared her. Her mother was falling apart in front of her eyes and it was her grandmother's fault. In that second she didn't give a damn about her future. Her grandmother had to change her mind or she wouldn't go back to Chilton she decided. And knew at the same tome that her mother and Luke would never let that happen.

**TBC**

**Please review! It's a huge motivation boost if you get reviews...**


	27. Let it snow, let it snow, let it

_Oh my god guys, thank you so much for all those reviews! I'm feel really honored! I hope you'll like this chapter as well.. or not like it as well, depending if you liked the last one. _

_I had a couple of questions about Luke's money and why he doesn't use it. For those who didn't get my review reply: Luke's money is invested in funds (not fonts ;) ) and he can't get it out now. I also tried to paint the picture of Emily a bit clearer in this chapter, because I honestly like her, because she always tries to do what's good for Lorelai, who she loves dearly, in my opinion._

_So, have fun with that chapter, please don't send me any kinds of bombs and don't lose the trust in me, cause I have a plan (and I am not ASP ;))_

* * *

**Chapter 27: Let it snow, let it snow, let it…**

The days past slowly while Lorelai wallowed. The first two days she spent in bed while Rory and Sookie took shifts of taking care of her. Sookie brought her food, listened to her rants and supported her in her decision not to speak to her parents ever again.

Rory was more for soothing her, cheering her up and watching movies with her. Lorelai was grateful to have her daughter and her best friend, but she wished dearly for Luke to come, to take her in his arms and tell her that everything was alright, that he knew a solution and was able to fix it. He was her own Mr. Fix it, always had been and now he was just as helpless as she was. She wondered if he was wallowing as well, if he was working or had gone fishing and she hoped that he had someone to talk to. She thought about asking Sookie about Luke, but then she didn't, because she was afraid she would tell her that he seemed fine. She knew that he wasn't- he couldn't be- but Luke wasn't one to show others his emotions and there was no one in Stars Hollow who knew him as well as she did.

Once she got out of bed she told Sookie to bring her work from Inn so she could do it at home. She needed some distraction, but yet she wasn't able to deal with any annoying guests or the nosey townspeople and decided to stay home.

Sookie kept coming over with food, Rory went to Dosey's for everything else and Lorelai only dealt with some paperwork from the Inn and her own misery- she wasn't up for anything else.

She kept telling herself, that three years from now she would marry Luke, she wouldn't become the cat lady, she could still have more kids then and she would get her whole package. Doubts kept creeping up though, because three years was so long and she was scared that Luke would find someone else in the meantime. Sure, he wasn't a guy who went out a lot, but he could meet another woman anywhere: The Timberland shop, the insurance office, at the bank or when he needed a lawyer for whatever reason. She couldn't see him with a lawyer chick; she couldn't see him with anyone else but herself. Still three years were a long time…

Luke meanwhile was kicking people out of the diner, when he opened the first three days, but then he wasn't able to work anymore.

He still had to pick up his things from her place, but he had heard the gossip that Lorelai hadn't left the house since Emily's visit and he knew that he couldn't pack his things and move out while she was there. He knew he couldn't do it, because it would kill him, but he also knew that he wouldn't be able to see her cry and beg and then pack his things. Or if she yelled at him, gave him the cold shoulder… no matter what would await him there, he couldn't bear it.

He had spent his days working and his nights awake in the armchair with beer- after three days the exhaustion- both physically and emotionally- had become too much and the diner had stayed closed. He knew that he was adding to the rumour mill with that, but he couldn't care less. They could say what they wanted as long as they would let him be.

Tomorrow was Christmas Eve and the Christmas tree in his apartment suddenly looked dull and sad, not even the sparkling blue and red lights could change that. He knew that in Lorelai's living room the tree was still missing because they had wanted to put it up together the morning of the 24th, and knowing Lorelai he was sure there wouldn't be a Christmas tree this year in the Gilmore house.

The presents for Lorelai and Rory were still in his sock drawer here and he took another bottle of beer out of the fridge and with a sigh he sat down in his armchair once again. Not all the years of watching her from afar had been that horrible. Then he hadn't known what it was really like to be with her and he had never allowed himself to fantasise about a future with her – but now he had almost had it.

He cursed when he thought about the fact that if they hadn't been so stubborn and that stupid Max hadn't been in the picture they would already be married and Emily wouldn't be able to do a thing about it. The clock on the wall clicked and when he looked up another slow hour had passed- and he was still alone in his apartment.

* * *

Richard woke up from some strange sounds and when he switched the light on he found the bed beside him empty. He took his bathrobe from the hook on the door and then followed the light into Lorelai's room, where he found Emily.

She was flipping through an old photo album while sitting on Lorelai's old bed.

"Dear, what are you doing in here in the middle of the night?" he asked her and sat down beside her.

"She only wore that dress once, then she ripped it while climbing on a tree. It was the last present from Abby, before she died", Emily said and tapped her fingers on a picture which showed Lorelai in a white dress with small yellow sunflowers on it.

"Didn't Abby laugh about it when you told her?" Richard asked.

"Yes, she did. She said better the dress be ruined than Lorelai breaking her neck. And then she told me what a lively and active child Lorelai was", Emily said and smiled at the memory.

"Do you feel guiltily because you ruined the engagement of Lorelai and her son? I'm sure she would have understood, Emily", he said and lay a hand on her shoulder.

"No, Richard, this she wouldn't have understood. And yes I feel guilty, but I did what I had to do. I have to think of my own daughter first before I think about myself or my friends. I have to protect Lorelai and look out for her, because she surely can't do that for herself, otherwise she wouldn't live in that town full of lunatics. I admit she did a good job with Rory, but she doesn't look out for herself enough. Luke is a nice man.. for someone else… someone with another upbringing. If he had the money to tend to Lorelai's wishes this would have been perfect, but Lorelai is way too spoiled to live forever with a poor man. They would be divorced within a few months", Emily said.

"I absolutely agree, Emily. Yet I think we should have stayed out of their business in the first place and just given her the money", Richard replied.

"I know that now. I just really thought this was a good idea…" Emily trailed off and closed the album. "I called her today", she admitted then.

"Lorelai?" Richard asked surprised.

"Yes. I wanted to invite her and Rory for tomorrow evening, because it's the first Christmas Eve we would spend together because we're not on vacation."

"That's a very nice idea", Richard nodded approvingly.

"She answered the phone, heard my greeting and then said that she hated me and hung up", Emily told him.

"Why didn't you say so before?"

"I was too shocked by her behaviour and I couldn't wrap my mind around it. I called her again, but she wouldn't pick up the phone. She really seems to think that she likes Luke", Emily admitted and looked up at her husband, the doubt clearly visible in her eyes.

"She'll get over it, dear. Now let's go back to bed", he said, taking her hand and leading her back to their bedroom.

* * *

The next day Sookie visited again, because she didn't want Lorelai and Rory to be alone on Christmas Eve under the current circumstances. Lorelai was furious when she entered the house with the food.

"The nerve she has", she was just saying loudly when Sookie entered the kitchen.

"Who has a nerve? What happened?" she asked curiously, glad that Lorelai was finally speaking about something other than Luke.

"My mother! She called!" Lorelai said and paced in the kitchen.

"What did she want?" Sookie asked and put the plastic boxes down on the table.

"To invite us for tonight", Lorelai snorted.

"That's nice", Sookie shrugged, because she hadn't really thought about it. A dinner invitation was always nice, wasn't it?!

"Nice? A dinner with my parents? At the moment I would rather have dinner in a minefield in Afghanistan than at my parent's!" Lorelai said.

"At a dinefield? Oh, is that one of those large tables at the cooking contests where the jury sits? Huh, didn't know they had those in Afghanistan", Sookie wondered while she unpacked the food.

"A minefield, Sookie", Lorelai said and had to smile at her friend's obliviousness.

"I brought cinnamon doughnuts, cookies, apple tarts, lamb chops with mashed potatoes and beans", Sookie listed off what she brought.

"So the left overs from the Inn kitchen?" Rory concluded.

"Basically yes, only the cinnamon doughnuts, those I made especially for you, my friends", Sookie smiled proudly and handed both Lorelai and Rory a doughnut.

"Thank you", Rory smiled and retreated back into her room to give her mother some time alone with her best friend.

"You have any plans for today or are you going to join us?" Lorelai asked her.

"Well, I don't have any plans for the afternoon, but in the evening I have to be back at the Inn, because there's a huge dinner", Sookie informed her and sat down on a kitchen chair.

"Ah yeah right. I read that somewhere in the reservations book. Wasn't it a choir or something?" Lorelai asked her.

"Yes, that's them. They even started singing at the Inn today while Drella played the harp. It drew a huge crowd and Babette and Patty came over. When Patty wanted to sing Amazing Grace, because it's such a wonderful song to sing, she got into a fight with Drella though", Sookie said and giggled.

"Why? What's there to fight about?" Lorelai wanted to know.

"Because Drella said that playing that song would ruin her fingernails and she said that it's a song for funerals and just dumb-asses would sing it for Christmas- and then they started arguing while the choir sang "Silent night"", Sookie said.

"Nice. What else did they sing?" Lorelai smiled and finished her doughnut.

"They sang…Dashing through the snow On a one-horse open sleigh, Over the fields we go, Laughing all the way; Bells on bob-tail ring, making spirits bright, What fun it is to ride and sing a sleighing song tonight", Sookie started to sing and swayed from side to side in the rhythm.

"Jingle Bells", Lorelai laughed.

"Right! And: Have yourself a merry little Christmas, Let your heart be light. From now on, your troubles will be out of sight. Have yourself a merry little Christmas. Make the Yule-tide gay, From now on, your troubles will be miles away", Sookie sang with a deep voice and made Lorelai laugh again.

"You sang the title, that's too easy! Next one!" Lorelai laughed and because Sookie knew that this was the first time Lorelai was laughing again and seemed to think of something other than Luke for once, she kept going.

"I broke my bat on Johnny's head; Somebody snitched on me. I hid a frog in sister's bed; Somebody snitched on me. I spilled some ink on Mommy's rug;I made Tommy eat a bug; Bought some gum with a penny slug; Somebody snitched on me", she sang.

"Nuttin' for Christmas!" Lorelai yelled and clapped her hands in glee when Sookie nodded.

"Oh, the weather outside is frightful, But the fire is so delightful, And since we've got no place to go, Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow. It doesn't show signs of stopping, And I brought some corn for popping; The lights are turned way down low, Let it snow, let it…" Sookie trailed of and stopped her happy tune when she saw the smile freeze on Lorelai's face. From happy to sad in a mere second Lorelai's eyes filled with tears again and without another word she stood up and hurried upstairs into her bedroom.

Sookie followed her, confused what had she had done wrong when she had just wanted to cheer her up.

"Honey, what's wrong? Don't you like that song? I can sing another one", she said and sat down on the Kleenex covered bed beside her friend.

"Luke and I- we kissed for the first time when the first snow of the year came down", Lorelai sniffed.

"Oh honey", Sookie said sympathetically and patted her friends back. Cursing to herself inwardly for choosing a song that contained snow. She sat with Lorelai for a while, but she seemed inconsolable and Sookie had to go and prepare the dinner for the evening at some point. So she left, told Rory about her mother's new breakdown and then went to the Inn.

* * *

Lorelai meanwhile felt as miserable again as she had that first night alone. She felt sorry that she had lost it again in front of Sookie, but the memories of those first kisses with Luke had hit her like a ton of bricks. She couldn't stand this anymore; she just had to do something!

She took the phone from the nightstand and dialled a familiar number.

"Danes", she heard his tired voice and she closed her eyes because of the feelings that hit her hard when she heard his voice again after one long week.

"Hey, Luke, it's me. I know I'm not supposed to be calling, but I am not doing really great right now, and… I was just wondering, if, do you remember in The Way we Were, how Katie and Hubbell broke up because his friends were joking and laughing, and the president had just died, and she yelled at them and he was mad and he was going out to Hollywood, and, I mean, which she hated, and he broke up with her and she was really upset. And she called him and asked him if he would come over and sit with her because he was her best friend and she needed her best friend, and he did. And they talked all night, and they went out to Hollywood, which was a disaster, but it was good at first. With the boat, and uh, putting the books away. I've seen this movie a lot, so if you don't remember the putting the books away scene, don't feel stupid or anything. I was just sitting here thinking about it, because I, um, I'm in my house, and I was just, uh… Could - please come over. I - please. Really need to see you and talk to you, and please - come over. Please. Come…", she rambled and had to end when her voice cracked and she couldn't speak anymore. She had been crying the whole time, but then her hoarse voice gave in and she just couldn't speak. anymore.

"I'll be right over", he just said and hung up. He couldn't bear it to hear her like this, or know she was that miserable- especially not tonight - it was Christmas after all.

He arrived at the house a mere five minutes later and let himself in. He knew that she wouldn't be in the living room, but upstairs and he immediately made his way up the stairs and into the bedroom. He found her lying between Kleenex and life style magazines, empty boxes of ice-cream and chips crumbs. She wore sweatpants and a blue sweater, her face was puffy and tear stained and her hair put up in a messy ponytail. He didn't say anything, because he didn't know what to say, but he just lay down on the bed and pulled her in to his arms and let her cry against his chest, while he stroked over her hair.

"I'm here, it's ok", he said after a while when she started to calm down slowly, just hiccupped sometimes.

"I'm sorry", she sniffed, because she knew that he was miserable as well. She knew from the shadows that were lying under his eyes and it seemed to her like hadn't shaved since he moved out.

"It's ok", he said and gave her a squeeze.

"Luke!" suddenly Rory appeared in the doorway and interrupted their moment. She jumped onto the bed and joined the hug, by hugging his arm and laying an arm around her mother's shoulders.

"Did you talk to grandma?" she asked him hopefully.

"No, but your mother needed me and it's Christmas", he said and slowly pulled back from the embrace.

"We didn't put up the Christmas tree"; Lorelai said sadly and wiped her eyes, because she didn't want Rory to see her crying again. Luke was there now, and if only for a moment, but he was there.

"Then I think we should put it up now", Luke said and looked at Lorelai worriedly.

"So.. you'll stay?" Rory asked hopefully.

"I'll stay.. but only for tonight. There's nothing wrong with friends spending Christmas together, right?" he said and helped Rory and Lorelai off the bed.

"I'll get the Christmas tree decorations"; Rory said excitedly and ran off, down the stairs.

"Thank you Luke. I really needed you today", Lorelai said and kissed him on the cheek and let her lips linger there for a moment. "You should shave", she said then. "Your razor is still in the bathroom", she smiled.

"Ok, I'll do that. I'll be right down", he told her with a small smile and went into the bathroom.

**TBC**

**Please don't forget to feed me and review!**


	28. It's tool time

Thank you so much for all those reviews, I really appreciate them and try to take them into consideration while writing.

I hope you'll like this chapter and I also hope you'll tell me if you don't.

**Chapter 28: It's tool time!**

When Luke came back downstairs Lorelai smiled at him when she saw him beardless.

"Hey Al, no more beard? What will Tim say?" she grinned as she stroked with her hand over his cheek. It seemed so normal to do that, but then she saw Luke's look and took her hand away. She wasn't allowed to do that anymore. "Sorry", she muttered.

"It's ok", Luke told her and he longed to take her in his arms, but he couldn't. It wouldn't help them in the long run if they kept caressing each other. It would only make the separation more painful in the evening.

"Uhm… the tree is outside in the backyard. Sookie and Jackson brought it over yesterday, but I didn't want it in the house", Lorelai confessed and sat back down on the couch.

"You waited for me so you could make me carry this thing in, huh?" Luke grinned and walked into the kitchen and then back out the door, while Lorelai followed him. "God Almighty!" he exclaimed when he saw the tree. "That can't be a Christmas tree. The first third of it maybe yes, but the rest is enough wood to build a new roof top with it", he said when he saw the huge tree in her backyard.

"So we have to celebrate out here and put our presents beside it instead of under it?" Lorelai grinned when she saw his horrified face.

"No, I'll get the saw", Luke said, still shaking his head.

"Yay, tool time!" Lorelai exclaimed and Luke shot her a look that clearly showed that he really thought she was crazy and should just be quiet.

"Hey why don't I play Heidi and vanish while you are you're Al-y self and use your tools", she said, then giggled. "Dirty", she laughed and went inside. She felt lighter, she felt happy and she was so glad that Luke was there. She knew that he would leave again, but still it was nice to have him back. She promised herself, that her feelings wouldn't ruin that Christmas, because after the last horrible week all she wanted to do was be happy. She could cry and wallow again when he was gone, but as long as he was there she wanted to just be happy again and celebrate Christmas with the man who in three years would be her husband.

While Luke was outside Rory and Lorelai heard him curse several times and decided to make him tea, so that he would have at least something to warm him up when he came in. Yet when Luke came in he didn't look like he needed to warm up, because he was sweaty and beet red in the face.

"How the hell did Jackson bring this thing over? With a crane?" he asked and swore under his breath while he carried the significantly smaller tree into the house.

"Actually yes. Sookie was guiding him, while he operated the crane", Lorelai shrugged. "But hey I wanted exactly that tree because it's pretty and I had that feeling about it", Lorelai admitted with a smile.

"How many roofs did he damage in the process?" Luke asked and put the tree in the stand.

"None", Lorelai lied and took the boiling water off the stove. When she looked into the living room when she was done with the tea a second later Luke only looked at her with raised eyebrows while he fastened the screws in the stand. "Okay, two, but it's not that bad", she admitted.

"You know, one day some guys are going to come and build a huge roof over this whole town and then they'll change the sign to "Stars Hollow- the world's biggest nuthouse", Luke grumbled and got off the floor to check if the tree was standing straight.

"They wouldn't write nuthouse on a sign, Luke. They would put "asylum" instead, because nuthouse in colloquial and not suitable for a sign", Rory interfered and winked at her mother.

"Not you as well", Luke just sighed and joined them in the kitchen.

"Here I made you some tea"; Lorelai grinned and handed him the mug.

"You made tea? I don't think it's safe to eat or drink anything you _make_", Luke said, but took a sip of the tea nonetheless.

"Hey, I was just trying to be nice. I could have made coffee instead", Lorelai protested and walked to the doorframe and looked into the livingroom. "So, is this thing safe and can we make it pretty?" she grinned at him.

"As safe as anything can be with you nearby", Luke replied and rolled his eyes.

"Yay, let's get the decorations", Rory said excitedly and ran off into the hall and opened the closet there, to search for the decorations.

"Yeah, let's do that!" Lorelai clapped her hands in excitement. "Thank you Lukey", she grinned then and gave him a kiss on the lips. Just when their lips touched she remembered that they weren't back together. He was just a friend… they were broken up… because of her mother. Quickly she pulled back and they stared at each other. He didn't look angry or sad, more surprised. She raised a hand to her lips and touched them while she still stared at him. The comfortable atmosphere was gone and she felt the awkwardness creep into the room.

"Lorelai, we can't keep doing…." Luke started, but was interrupted by Rory, who was oblivious to what had happened in the kitchen.

"Mom! Where did you put the decorations, I can't find them!", she complained and Lorelai hurried out of the kitchen with an uncomfortable smile on her face.

"They must be back in there somewhere"; she told her daughter and pushed her gently aside so she could look for them herself. While she rummaged through the closet and the incredible amount of stuff in there she felt the tears coming to her eyes.

"Hey honey, why don't you go into the garage and get the tinsel? It must be out there somewhere", she told Rory while the lump in her throat got bigger with every second.

"Okay", Rory agreed, oblivious to her mother's feelings and hurried outside. For a few more seconds Lorelai was able to search the closet, then her view got blurry and the first sob broke free. With the back of one hand she wiped the tears away which flowed onto her cheeks and tried to be quiet. She had to get her feelings under control or this evening would end up a disaster where she was happy one second and devastated the next. This had to end, she decided, but the tears kept flowing. When she felt a warm hand on her shoulder she didn't dare to look back, but kept looking straight ahead into the closet, without actually seeing something.

"Rory's getting the tinsel", she said with a raspy voice, it was audible that she was crying again. She felt how Luke wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close, so that their bodies were flush against each other. She felt him bury his face in the crook of her neck and she tilted her head towards his.

"Please stop crying. Let's just enjoy this evening, okay?", he whispered and she felt his lips move against the skin of her neck. She took a deep breath, then nodded and his smooth cheek rubbed against her own. He breathed her in one last time and kept one arm around her waist casually when he stepped to her side and looked into the closet. "You can't be serious!" he said when he saw the mess in the closet. "How many times did I tell you to clean up in here. Half of this crap could be easily thrown out and then you might actually be able to find something", he ranted and looked at her in fake anger. She could see right through him, saw the worry in his eyes, but decided to play along nonetheless.

"Well, you wouldn't clean this thing out and I am not going to do it. God knows what awful things I could find in there"; she went along and quickly wiped the last tears away.

"I doubt that god could memorize all the stuff you put in there. Did you remove the back of the closet to get it all in or how did you do it?", he asked when he couldn't find an end of the crap in there.

"Oh shush you. Let me remind you of your attic, it's the same or even worse up there", she shot back while Luke was now halfway in the closet.

"In my attic everything is put into boxes with labels on them, so I know what's in there without having to unpack them. And by the way: that's what an attic is for, to put stuff up there you don't need anymore, but don't want to get rid of", he told her and then dove back in.

"Yeah yeah", she muttered and crossed her arms in front of her chest, her tears already forgotten over the banter. "I know I know", she added quietly.

"Oh my god", Luke suddenly exclaimed and stepped out of the closet.

"What?" she asked confused and wondered what he could have found in there.

"You have an attic right? Don't tell me it looks like this closet", he said and pointed up to the ceiling with one finger.

"Nooo… it's doesn't", she replied slowly and looked down at the floor and then to the living-room- basically everywhere but at him.

"Jeez", he said, closed the door of the closet and then walked into the livingroom and up the stairs. "I swear to god if the decorations are up there I am going to kill you! No more coffee for at least a year", he threatened and she hurried after him.

"No, no, no, Luke, please! Don't go up there", she begged while she followed him and tried to hold him back by his sleeve, because she knew her attic looked even worse and it was absolutely possible that the decorations were up there.

* * *

"You have a serious problem!" Luke was still ranting while Lorelai and Rory were already hanging the decorations on the tree. He could barely get into the attic because of all the stuff she stored up there in one huge pile. "You should have the stability of your house checked, because I am sure the pillars are deformed because of the weight of this crap up there! Jeez, how can a person have so much stuff? Clothes, toys, videos, magazines and whatever garbage you have up there", he continued and Rory giggled. It was so good to have him back and for a moment she wondered how this Christmas would have been if her grandmother hadn't interfered. She had to admit that if her grandmother hadn't tricked them at first they surely wouldn't be together now. But without her they wouldn't be broken up either. She looked over to her mother and found her laughing about Luke's rant, the delight visible in her eyes. She looked happy and Rory was sure she was pushing the fact aside that Luke and she weren't a couple anymore. She thought about talking to her, but then she would just ruin Christmas for her and where was the good in that? Her mother was the queen of denial and if it would help her and she would be happy with it then why should she burst that bubble?

"Luke why don't you throw some tinsel on the tree instead of sitting there on the couch grumbling?" Lorelai laughed.

"I hate decorations and I hate tinsel", he replied grumpily.

"Oh come on!" Lorelai said and threw the package with the tinsel over to him.

"Jeez, now look at me!" Luke said and jumped of the couch, because the package had been open and he was covered in blue tinsel now.

"Aw, don't you look cute. Like a cheerleader with pom-poms", Lorelai teased him and shrieked when he walked over to her with this determined look in his eyes, that he only had when it was payback time.

"No, Luke! Stop! I'll never get this stuff out of my hair ever again!" she yelled while she ran around the Christmas tree, Luke chasing her. She tried to use Rory as a shield, while she giggled and laughed and then started running again, when her daughter wouldn't co-operate. Rory only laughed. It was really good to have him back- even if it only was for one evening.

* * *

Meanwhile at the Gilmore mansion the atmosphere wasn't as cheery. While Richard was humming along with one of the Christmas carols they were playing on a CD and flipped through the new books he had been given as presents, Emily was sitting quietly on the couch and seemed deep in thought.

"What do you think they are doing tonight?" Emily asked her husband suddenly.

"I'm sorry Emily, but what did you say?" he asked and looked up from the book he held in hands.

"I wondered what Lorelai and Rory are doing tonight", Emily repeated.

"Well, I guess they are celebrating Christmas", Richard replied and got off the couch to get himself something to drink.

"Lorelai can't cook", Emily added. "What will they be eating today and tomorrow?"

"Well, they survived the last 16 years, so I suppose they found a way to feed themselves," Richard shrugged on his way back to the couch with a brandy in his hand.

"Yes, they bought food at Luke's, but I forbid her to see Luke", Emily admitted quietly.

"You forbid her to see Luke?" Richard asked surprised.

"Maybe I went too far", she said.

"I honestly think so. They were friends for so long".

"I know, but I was angry, because they wouldn't listen and because I was so disappointed that the dream Abby and I had for so long wouldn't come true and I guess I took it out on them. But Lorelai is so incredibly stubborn. She would date him only to upset me if I would've let them see each other", she contemplated. Richard wasn't sure how he should reply to that, because he wasn't really agreeing with his wife at this point, but he didn't want to fight with her on Christmas either.

"Maybe that friend of hers, the chef, made them something to eat", he said then, referring to her former question.

"That would be healthier either way", Emily said and Richard turned back to his book.

* * *

"Oh my god, is there any end to this film in sight?" Luke asked after two hours of watching "gone with the wind"

"Yeah, another two hours away", Rory told him honestly.

"Jeez", he muttered, but turned his attention back to the screen. Minutes later Lorelai and Rory were bawling when a woman died in the film and he wrapped his arm around Lorelai who sat beside him.

"It's so sad"; she cried and buried her face in his chest.

"Yeah yeah", he sighed and patted her back gently, while Rory gave her mother some Kleenex. "What I don't understand is why you are watching a movie on Christmas which makes you cry your eyes out", he said.

"Because it's so romantic and it's a tradition", Rory sniffed.

"Hearing her say "Ashley, oh my Ashley" a thousand times is romantic? Beats me!", he said and was relieved when Lorelai sat up and grinned. He was still worried about her because he had experienced more than once that day that her mood could go up and down within seconds.

"That's because you're a man," she grinned and then lay back down into his arms, her back against his chest, because she had been enjoying the nearness a lot and there was nothing wrong with cuddling with a friend on the couch, right?

"Uhuh", Luke nodded and rolled his eyes and thought about getting up to get out of the situation without actually pushing her away, but then decided against it. It was Christmas Eve and he deserved a present, and Lorelai being that close to him, was better than any wrapped crap anyone could get him. He just about to get comfortable when something caught his attention. "What was that?" he asked and sat up straight again.

"What do you mean?" Lorelai asked him confused and turned around to face him.

"I could swear there was a flash going off, but there's no storm outside" he said and wrinkled his forehead.

"There was no flash", Lorelai shook her head and turned back towards the television. Luke kept staring out the window for another second, then shrugged and just turned his head when there was another flash going off.

"What the hell…" he muttered and got off the couch.

"Luke there was no flash", Lorelai shook her head again, without looking at him.

"No, mom, I saw it as well this time. There really was a flash"; Rory disagreed when the next flash went off. Without saying another word Luke hurried outside to check where this flash was coming from and Lorelai and Rory followed him with a bit of distance. They had just reached the front door when there was a commotion outside and they heard several voices of men, before Luke came along the front porch, dragging Kirk with him by his ear and Taylor by his collar. While Taylor seemed to choke and couldn't really say anything, except for some un-comprehendible sounds, Kirk was wailing.

"No Luke let me go! Please Luke have mercy on me!" he begged and pleaded, but Luke didn't stop and pushed them into Lorelai's hallway.

"What are you doing here?" Lorelai asked the two men before Luke could say something. Taylor pointed and Luke and signalized Lorelai that he should let him go, which Luke only did when Lorelai took his fingers from Taylor's collar one by one.

"Luke, this behavior is unacceptable, I should call the police immediately and they should arrest you!" Taylor said, but took a step back and quieted when Luke took one step towards him again.

"Taylor, what were you doing outside?" Lorelai asked him again.

"We were just taking a walk in the snow", Taylor shrugged innocently- too innocently.

"With a camera around your neck that has a bigger lens than any paparazzi lens I have ever seen?" she questioned further and pointed to the huge camera he had around his neck.

"Yeah .. uhm… we were taking pictures…. of.. uhm… birds", Taylor stuttered and looked like a deer in headlights.

"Birds? At nine at night in the winter? It's pitch black outside", Luke said and thrust his finger in the air and pointed to the door.

"And there are no birds in the winter", Rory added and raised her eyebrows. The two accused were now looking really scared, Luke still held Kirks left ear and they all looked at them questioningly.

"Kirk", Luke addressed him then and Kirk winced in pain.

"I didn't do anything, Luke. I swear I didn't do anything", Kirk wailed.

"What didn't you do?" Lorelai asked him and Kirk saw the anger rising in her eyes- he was really scared to death now.

"I really didn't… I had no choice!" Kirk cried.

"Kirk!" Luke suddenly barked and Kirk jumped in fear.

"We took photos of you two and spied through the window on you, because Taylor promised your mother to give her information on how you were acting and how you were doing. She promised him a meeting with the association of the traffic light builders, because he wants a traffic light in the towns-square", Kirk admitted and Lorelai gasped.

"My mother bribed you to spy on us?" Lorelai pressed out.

"I didn't have anything to do with it", Kirk added quickly.

"Give me the film", Luke told Taylor and held out his hand.

"No", Taylor refused and took another step away from Luke.

"Give me that damn film or I swear to god I am no longer responsible for my actions", Luke hollered, then took the camera and aggressively ripped out the film himself, not caring about the camera or Taylor's neck which was attached to the string on said camera.

"This is my belongings!" Taylor protested, but fell silent when Luke growled.

"You will not tell any of this- not a word- to Emily or I will kill you both. Got me?" Luke yelled then.

"Don't kill me Luke, I'm too young", Kirk cried and threw himself down on the floor and hugged Luke' s leg.

"You stole my film", Taylor only replied. When Luke came towards him, he took a step aside though and then ran out the open front door. Because of Kirk, who was still hugging his leg, Luke couldn't follow him immediately and he just had to kick him off of his leg. When Luke went to run after him Lorelai held him back by his hand.

"Stay. He's not worth it", she told him quietly.

"But he'll call your mother immediately", Luke said upset.

" I know, but I just won't answer the phone tonight. Please, don't let this incident ruin our Christmas", she begged.

"Lorelai, he'll tell your mother and then Rory's education will be shot to hell. Because of a traffic light!" Luke yelled frustrated.

"We'll see and deal with it when the situation presents itself. For now let's just go back and watch this movie, because I refuse to deal with my mother tonight", Lorelai said, although she was burning with anger inside.

"I am not in the mood for a movie anymore. Especially not "Gone with the wind"", Luke said and took a deep breath. "I guess I should go", he added then. "You're ok now?" he asked her.

"Yeah, I'm ok now. Thank you for coming over", she replied, too caught up in her fury to even get sad. She knew that if her mother would be in the room that second she should better know some good self protection tricks.

"Ok", Luke nodded and gave her hand a squeeze and left. When the door closed behind him Lorelai and Rory looked at each other, speechless about the recent events.

"I am always in the mood for gone with the wind", Kirk broke the silence and marched into the living room and sat down on the couch.

**TBC**


	29. What

First I have to say that the reviews you guys send me are starting to scare me half to death. There's no way I can speak of a passive aggressivness anymore, it's more like really violent stuff. Ripping eyeballs out and stuff like that: So not nice of you!

Yet I don't think it will get better after this chapter so I have to be strong again, if you keep reviewing. And because you know how much I love the reviews you will send me more precious reviews.

Happy birthday to my beta Sarah (who hasn't betaed this chapter yet, so don't blame her for my stupid mistakes!)

* * *

**Chapter 29: What?**

It was another two days later when Emily Gilmore sought out her husband in his study and one look at her was enough for him to know that she was terribly upset.

"What is wrong Emily?" he asked her and laid the folder down on the desk and put his glasses down, so he could see her better and she knew she had all of his attention.

"This man just called me, this Taylor and guess what he told me?" she asked upset.

"I don't know, but I guess you are going to tell me", Richard replied.

"Of course I will tell you! He said that Lorelai celebrated Christmas with Rory and Luke", she shrieked.

"And?" Richard asked clueless.

"And? She celebrated with Luke, Richard, with Luke! I forbid them to have contact explicitly. And now this horrible town selectman calls me and tells me that they celebrated Christmas together and were cuddled up on the couch. And do you know what the worst thing is?" she asked, but then didn't wait for Richard to reply. "This lunatic let Luke catch him and his assistant, a man called Kirk. Luke caught them taking pictures and Mr. Doose told me that this Kirk admitted everything once Luke and Lorelai threatened him. They know everything now!" she explained while she paced from side to side in front of the desk.

"You let somebody spy at them?" Richard asked shocked.

"Of course I did. How would I know else if they abide by the rules I gave them, which obviously they are not", she replied.

"Emily, they are not criminals. They are a young couple in love and you tried to break them up", Richard tried to reason.

"They are not love. They might think they are in love, because it was better for them to believe it while they were forced to get married, but I think they will be able to see that they are just friends when they had some time away from each other", Emily said, but didn't really sound convinced either.

"Emily, I know that you are not blind. You saw how they looked at each other", Richard disagreed.

"I did not see anything", she refused stubbornly and crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"Emily", Richard said and got off his chair.

"No don't Emily me Richard! There was nothing to see, so I didn't see it. They are not in love, I refuse to believe that! And now I am going to call Lorelai!" she said and stormed out of the room.

"Oh my goodness", Richard just sighed and then sat back down in his chair.

* * *

When Rory came back from Lane that evening she didn't find Lorelai up in her bedroom, like she expected it, but downstairs in the living-room pacing and cursing aloud.

"Hey mom, what's wrong?" Rory asked her and looked curiously at her.

"What is wrong? What is wrong? My mother is wrong! That nerve she has! Who does she think she is? The king of China?" Lorelai replied and was so upset that her head looked like she would explode any second: Her face was red, her eyes as well and Rory wondered if her mother's eyeballs had actually popped out a bit.

"What happened?" she asked, although she didn't really want to know, since news from her grandmother recently always meant bad news.

"This happened!" Lorelai roared and pushed the play button on the answering machine.

"Lorelai this is your mother. I was informed today that you and Luke celebrated Christmas together and had a rather intimate session on the couch", Emily's voice echoed through the room and Lorelai snorted.

"Oh boy", Rory muttered when she heard what her grandmother said and saw her mother's reaction. It wasn't like they hadn't expected anything after Kirk had admitted that he was spying for Emily, but hearing her grandmother on the answering machine and seeing her mother's reaction to it, Rory felt uneasy, because she knew this could not end well.

"I am really disappointed in the both of you, because you lied to me and tried to fool me. This is inexcusable! And believe me young lady when I tell you there will be consequences!" Emily finished her speech and the message ended.

"What is she going to do?" Rory asked her mother.

"Do you really think I am able to guess with what she will come up next? Maybe my guess that Luke will have to leave the town wasn't so far off after all. She's nuts! She belongs into a house for people … like her. Maybe she sees white mice as well or thinks the world will explode any second because Aliens will attack us. This is not normal! She is not normal! And I've had enough now. I'm going to put an end to this, no matter how, but I will. I will not stand here any longer and let my mother tell me how to live my life and whom to love and marry. This is my life, my relationship, my Luke and you are my daughter. I am sorry to say this, but it looks like you better get used to the thought of going back to Stars Hollow High, because your mother can't pay for it. There you have it! It's my fault and I am sorry that I will ruin your future, but I've had enough and I won't let her make us miserable for another minute!" Lorelai ranted and then grabbed her keys and her jacket and was out the door before Rory could even react.

She had known it. This would not end well and if her mother arrived in Hartford in the same state she was in now, Rory wouldn't even rule out a fist fight between her mother and her grandmother.

"Oh boy", she muttered again and plopped down on the couch with another sigh. She wasn't really concerned about her school, she knew she could easily go back to Stars Hollow High were Lane and Dean were, but she was afraid that she wouldn't be able to see her grandparents again. They weren't really her favourite people at the moment, but they were still her grandparents.

* * *

While Lorelai drive to her parents' different scenarios were going through her head how she would find them and what she would tell them.

She saw them still lying in bed and waking them up with cold water.

Or she saw them sitting on the patio and then throwing them into the pool with their chairs. Then she remembered that it was December and it wasn't really likely that they would be outside.

She had never understood her mother and she would never understand her, but this was the final straw- her mother was spying on her, or let others spy on her.

She had been miserable again those last two days because she missed Luke and she had come to admit that it wouldn't get better with time. Sure, at one point or the other she would have to get out of bed and face the real world again, go to work and go out, yet she knew it would never be the same.

She had seen Rory with Luke on Christmas Eve and she knew how much her daughter had enjoyed the celebration with Luke in the house. It was like the family Christmas they never had had before and now it had been there and her mother had ruined it.

It had helped her to understand though that Luke was wrong: Rory would never blame them for being together and getting married even if she had to go back to Stars Hollow High because of that. She knew it because she understood now that Rory longed for a real family with Luke just as much as she was.

She slowed the speed a bit when she came to that conclusion again and she thought about many things said or done since her mother had started this craziness.

The craziness that would end this evening- no matter how.

* * *

What Lorelai was unaware of was that Emily had not only called her, but also Luke. He had had the fun of speaking with Emily personally and he had been too stunned to actually reply anything while she had yelled at him. He hadn't even put down the plate with the burger he held in one hand.

He had been dumb folded and stood in the diner like frozen for a while before he had snapped out of his daze, had thrown out the customers and then had driven over to Hartford, to face Emily himself.

The anger had heightened with every second and he was lucky there was no police on the street because he drove so fast they would have taken his driver's license without doubt.

When he had arrived, he had jumped out of the car, slammed the door shut, rang the doorbell several times and had stormed into the living-room where the Gilmores were seated.

"You and me, we are done! It's over, end, finito! I will not let you tell me anymore how to live my life or who to be with. You told me to get engaged and I got engaged, then you told me to break up with Lorelai and we broke up and now you even let these two loons spy on us. You think everything is your business. Everything is about you! Well, here's a newsflash: Some things are not about you. It does not concern you! If I want to marry Lorelai, it concerns her and it concerns me, and that is it. It is none of your business! And you do not have the right to make me feel guilty because I don't have as much money as you though I have, because I never did anything that could give you the impression. I have been tying my own shoes since I was I was four, I have repairing my own car since I was fourteen, and I have been making my own decisions since I could crawl!" he yelled at Emily and she even dared to interrupt him.

"What does any of that have to do with anything?" she asked him haughtily and didn't even get off the couch.

"I owe you nothing!" he screamed.

"Except for the money we gave you for the diner", Emily told him and raised her eye-brows.

"You know what? I will sell the house I own and give you your damn money back. It might not be enough for Rory's school, but it will be enough to pay you back", he was still screaming when the doorbell rang again.

"What is this? The train station?" Emily asked upset, while Richard just leaned back in his armchair and watched the spectacle unfolding in front of his eyes.

"But you know what annoys me the most? That you use your granddaughter's education to blackmail me and your own daughter. You should be ashamed of yourself, because this is so low. I think every hobo out on the street would be better than this! If my mother would still be alive she would be ashamed of ever being your friend. She would have never even looked at you again for the way you treated and manipulated your own flesh and blood. You might have been her best friend, but I know that all she ever wanted was to see her kids happy, to see me and Liz happy, like every good mother is. You aren't one, because then you would see that your daughter is an amazing woman, the most amazing woman. She's intelligent, beautiful, caring, a bit crazy and best mother I have ever got to know beside my own. She would never do to Rory what you are doing to her now, because all she cares about is her daughter's happiness and nothing else," Luke ranted and Emily was too shocked to reply for a second. But then she got of the couch quickly and was just about to answer when she saw Lorelai standing in the doorway of the living-room.

Her daughter stared at Luke with an expression of awe on her face and love shining in her eyes. She was literally lit up in love and it somehow made Emily happy to see her daughter looking at a man like that, because she had seriously doubted her daughter would ever find a man she would love. However then she remembered the man was Luke and that he was just a diner owner and also the man who had yelled at her just a second ago and who had told her what a horrible mother she was. She opened her mouth again to speak up and even stepped forward towards him, looking up at the taller man.

"Luke", Lorelai said softly and interrupted her mother. She was amazed that he was here, happy to see him and impressed by his words. She doubted that she had ever loved him more than right this second. Luke swirled around stared back. He was shocked that she was there. Embarrassed, shocked… and so in love with her.

"This is unbelievable!" Emily said then and broke the spell.

"Mother, stop it! You did enough already. And I have enough! This ploy you set up is not going to work anymore. I don't care if you hire the CIA to spy on us or not, because this is over. Rory, Luke and I, we are a family already if you like it or not and Christmas clearly proved that. Rory loves Luke and she looks up to him and she would rather go back to the Stars Hollow High than lose Luke as her father figure. I will not let it happen!" Lorelai said and took Luke's hand, interlaced her fingers with his.

"How dare you! The last word is not spoken about this young lady", Emily replied and her face was red with anger now, while Richard was still sitting in his armchair.

"Oh yes it is. We will get married whether you like it or not", Lorelai nodded and when she glanced at her father she thought for a second that she saw a small smile on his face.

"Oh no you won't", Emily shook her head.

"Yes, we will", Lorelai shot back and slung one arm around Luke's waist.

"No you won't" Emily said again, louder this time.

"Yes we will", Lorelai yelled back.

"Why do you have to be so damn stubborn and ruin your life again?" Emily yelled and gestured at the two of them.

"Because I am pregnant, mother", Lorelai yelled at Emily and suddenly everything was dead silent.

"What?" Luke and Emily asked then at the same time.

**TBC**


	30. Processing

Wow, thank you again for so many reviews. I'm doing a happy dance for each one. I hope you will like this chapter. Please remember no guns or weapons, they are illegal over here in Germany.

* * *

**Chapter 30: Processing**

Last time on dmp:

"_Why do you have to be so damn stubborn and ruin your life again?" Emily yelled and gestured at the two of them._

"_Because I'__m pregnant, mother", Lorelai yelled at Emily and suddenly everything was dead silent._

"_What?" Luke and Emily asked then at the same time._

"You heard me", Lorelai just replied and looked down at the floor, avoiding her mother's angry eyes. She felt that Luke let go of her hand and when she looked at him she found him with his mouth hanging open, obviously unable to process what she had just told them. He was starring at her, but was looking right through her at the same time.

"Well, I think congratulations are in order then", Richard suddenly spoke up and got out of his chair. He first shook Lorelai's hand then Luke's while Emily was still staring at her daughter. Luke was unable to react and still stared at Lorelai when Richard congratulated him. So Richard stood between the three of them and finally he retreated back to his armchair and sat back down, not really sure what else he could do.

Lorelai was confused by Luke's reaction. They had talked about kids and now he looked like the world was about to end. Didn't he want kids and had he just said it like that? When she couldn't stand it anymore and her mother didn't look like she would say anything any time soon Lorelai tugged at Luke's hand.

"I guess we should go", she said and he followed her without replying something.

"I guess the wedding will be very soon then. I will call Angela the wedding planner tomorrow", Emily said and stopped them for a second in the doorway, but then Lorelai just waved back at her mother and went on with her way, Luke still following her like a puppy on a leash.

Outside she stopped and took a deep breath. "Let's get out of here", she said and nodded with her chin to the cars. She just wanted to walk off when he held her back.

"Hey, wait! You're what?" he asked and finally found his voice again. His eyes were huge and he looked like he had seen a ghost. Lorelai just grinned when she saw his face, she couldn't help herself. "You're pregnant?" he asked when she didn't say anything and he didn't laugh, not even a bit " Why the hell didn't you tell me? And why did you have to do it when I was just fighting with your mother? I was over the whole evening for Christmas and not once did you say anything about being pregnant! But now of course you're mood swings that night make sense." he got angry and she stopped grinning.

"Hey!", she protested to his comment with the mood swings, but that didn't seem to help with his anger. So she changed her tone and took both of his hands in hers. "Luke, honey, sugar", she started and then laid her hands on his shoulders, "I'm not pregnant", she told him slowly and pronounced every word carefully.

"What?" he asked completely confused now.

"I'm not pregnant", she repeated calmly again. "But you better knock me up pretty damn fast before my mother finds out", she grinned.

However when she saw that Luke's confused expression changed back to anger in a second she stopped and hurried off to her jeep. "Let's not talk about this here. Who's home first wins", she said and drove off without waiting for his answer.

* * *

Lorelai couldn't get the shocked look of Luke out of her mind while she drove home. She really had thought that they had agreed on kids. For all she knew she could have been pregnant already, because she has gone off the pill after their talk in the car when they had driven to the hospital. All those times they had slept together she had been unprotected and she never thought that it would be a problem if she would get pregnant. Secretly she had wished for it, but it didn't happen and she had gotten her period a few days before Christmas. That didn't stop her from worrying though, what would have been if she really was pregnant. She had thought she would get Luke back with that little lie, at least when it came to her mother, and she had not doubted that Luke would be happy about a baby. Now it looked as if he didn't want a kid and was glad that she was not pregnant. 

But all the worries did not help and she decided to just wait and see what would happen. Her mother was not a problem anymore and that knowledge gave her a very warm and fuzzy feeling. The rest would come with time.

When Lorelai had long driven off Luke was still standing in the driveway of the Gilmore mansion, still unable to process all that. One second he was single, the next he was becoming a father and now he was going to get married soon and his fiancée was not pregnant. That was all a little too much.

With a heavy sigh he got into his truck and then slowly drove back to Stars Hollow. No matter how this thing would turn out, married, father, single or whatever, he was sure now, that all Gilmore women were completely crazy. He cursed when he thought of the mess he was in since Emily Gilmore had called him that evening months back and had requested that he should marry her daughter.

"I should have run away as far as possible", he muttered angrily and hit the gas so he could get to Lorelai sooner rather than later. He had something to say to her.

* * *

To say Luke was fuming when they arrived at her house was an understatement. He was red in the face, his eyes were dark blue with the rage he had talked himself into while driving. 

"What the hell were you thinking?" he yelled and slammed the front-door shut behind him and then stomped into the living room where Lorelai was already waiting for him on the couch.

"I wasn't really.." she started, but he interrupted her.

"This is completely insane! First we have to get married, then we have to break up and now we have to get you pregnant?! You are completely out of your mind", he yelled and paced around the living-room, while Lorelai sat calmly on the couch and watched him. She knew he would calm down when he got it all out and when she was finally allowed to say something.

"So what are we gonna do now?" he asked.

"Well I guess "do it" would be the best tip in that department", she said.

"24/7 or what schedule did you come up with to make it happen most likely?" he asked upset.

"Well, I wouldn't be opposed to that", she grinned naughtily and his eyes got a nuance darker.

"And what if we can't make it? What if I am not able to have a kid? Or what if you are not able to have kids anymore for whatever reason? We're not that fresh anymore", he ranted.

"Hey! I am thirty two and perfectly healthy!" she protested.

"That doesn't mean that you'll get pregnant within a few days", he yelled at her again.

"Luke, I think your little boy scouts will be able to do the job in time", she said.

"What if they're not? What if you don't get pregnant in time and your mother finds out?" he was still not calming down.

"I bet the frequency of the act might also be of some significance to knock me up. Maybe we should go back to your 24/7- doing it idea. That would be fun", she smiled and Luke groaned in frustration.

"I am sorry guys to interrupt you, but I really don't want to hear any more of this talk, so I'm gonna go back to Lane's. Call me when you're done", Rory said when she suddenly stood in the doorway and then disappeared as fast as she had come.

"Ah jeez", Luke groaned again and plopped down next to Lorelai on the couch. He was exhausted from all the yelling he had done in the last hour. First at Emily then at Lorelai. His voice was hoarse now and he felt drawn and he felt a headache coming up.

"Honey look," Lorelai started and moved closer to him and placed a hand on his thigh, " I don't know what got into me over there. Well, maybe I do… it's just… we were so happy when we were together and Christmas was so nice until Taylor and Kirk messed it up", she started to explain.

"Damn fools. I still have to kill them both", Luke muttered and turned his head to look at her.

"And tonight I just… I got so angry at my mother for messing everything up and I felt so helpless and I just couldn't take it anymore. So I drove over there tonight and I just wanted to end it, no matter how. And there you were, yelling at her and standing up for me. Nobody has ever done that for me in front of my mother, Luke", she squeezed his thigh slightly and then went on.

"When she wouldn't give in and then even said I was ruining my life, I just snapped. I knew that no matter what I said it wasn't going to help... except for when I told her I was pregnant. So I did just that. I wasn't really thinking of any consequences or how we could go from there. I only know that I love you and that I want to be with you", she said and felt that her eyes got watery and her vision got blurry. Luke looked intently at her and then just pulled her into his arms and held her without saying anything for a while.

"You know when we agreed on kids I always thought that we would wait until we were married for a while", he said then quietly and didn't hold her back when she pulled back from his embrace and wiped her tears away.

"I'm sorry", she said and shrugged helplessly, not really sure what she should say to this. She looked up at him when he got off the couch and sighed deeply.

"I have to get back to the diner and close up", he told her then, gave her a small and awkward wave and then left the house.

* * *

When Rory came back a while later she found her mother alone in the kitchen, sitting in the dark with a cup of coffee in her hands. 

"Hey, what's the verdict? Do I get a sibling in the near future or not?" Rory asked and switched on the light.

"I don't know", Lorelai shrugged helplessly and played with the cup on the table.

"Huh, one second you were talking about kids and now you're sitting here in the dark. What happened?" she asked her mother and sat down on a chair.

"Luke is pretty upset that I lied to my mother and told her I'm pregnant, so we could be together", Lorelai reported.

"What?" Rory asked surprised.

"Oh not you as well. That's exactly what Luke and my mother said", Lorelai rolled her eyes and took another sip of her coffee.

"So where is Luke now?" Rory wanted to know.

"At the diner", Lorelai replied.

"Huh", Rory just made and wasn't really sure what to say. This whole thing had now more twists than Ol' Henry and she hoped that her mother knew at least what was going on.

"He said he had to close, but I guess he is in his apartment processing everything and thinking about everything. He always needs time to deal with things on his own first and I guess that's what he's doing now. I mean we have two possibilities now: We could tell my mother I lied and break up for good or we could try to get pregnant as soon as possible and hope she won't find out", Lorelai explained. "I made myself clear what I want, now it's his turn".

"Wow, you really want another kid, huh?" Rory asked her mother.

"The first one turned out pretty good", Lorelai gave her a small smile and Rory smiled back.

"Yes, I agree", she grinned and then got up. "I'm beat. I'm going to bed. Good night mom", she said and kissed her mother's cheek. "And don't worry. Luke is crazy about you and I bet he wants a kid as much as you do", she said and then disappeared into her room.

"I hope you're right kiddo", Lorelai sighed and got up as well. It wouldn't help that her to just sit in the kitchen any longer. Luke would seek her out when he was ready.

* * *

It was three in the morning when Lorelai was shaken awake by someone. 

"Leave me alone", she muttered and moved away from whoever it was.

"Lorelai, come on wake up. I have to talk to you", Luke's voice came to her ear and she groaned.

"It's late.. or early. Let me sleep", she mumbled and had forgotten for a moment what had happened at her parents house that day.

"Lorelai, we have to talk. Now", he insisted and pulled the covers off of her. She turned on her back and opened her eyes. When he was sure that he had her attention he started. "Don't think I like that you lied to your mother and by the way, you nearly gave me a heart-attack there. I always though that you would tell me in some crazy way when you would be pregnant but that was so far from what I thought when you yelled it at your mother. But what's done is done and I don't want to give you up, or give us up again. Like I said, I always thought we would already be married for a while and had everything in order when we would have a kid, but I guess that was responsible me planning without crazy you. I don't care if we have a kid now or a few years down the road and if that's what it takes to be able to be together then I can deal with that. We still have to remodel the house and add a room or two before the kid comes and I am sure Emily will arrange the wedding in a very short time, so you are still slim and not showing. I am sure she wouldn't want you to look pregnant in our wedding pictures and it would be hard to find a wedding dress and plan the honey moon and", Luke rambled and Lorelai stopped him when she laid a hand on his knee.

He took a deep breath to calm himself and then said "What I wanted to say is that I love you and that I want marry you and have kids with you".

"Thank god! You really had me scared there when you took of without saying much", she sighed relieved and pulled him down towards her and kissed him gently.

"Ok, now that we have that out of the way go back to sleep", he said and intended to get up, but she slung her arms around his neck.

"No stay. We have to start getting me pregnant. The sooner the better", she grinned and kissed him.

"I stay, we sleep, because I've got a headache after all this trouble. We can start tomorrow", he said and yawned.

"Ok", she smiled and lay back down on her pillow, when Luke got up to change. This was going to be so much fun- planning their wedding and getting pregnant- she only hoped it would work out the way they wanted. And needed.

**TBC**


	31. Saying hello

Wow, only yesterday I was saying that I doubt the chapter would be up for another week, because I hadn't even started it and now here I am updating. And the chapter isn't even short. I had time at work today. Surprising but true.

I would like to greet Debbie and tell her to get better soon, that her wounds may heal, the one's outside and inside. And sorry again for cracking up about the story of you getting hurt, babe, but it's really just hilarious!

Thanks to those who have reviewed, I appreciate it a lot and it really helped me writing this chapter so fast. I hope this helps a bit to make some actions more understandable.

That all said I want to tell you that I started a new story and most shockingly it's not GG, but a modern take on Pride and Prejudice, which allows me a lot of freedom when it comes to plot and characters, so I enjoy writing something partially original for once. It's a romance of course and I am still torn between a T and an M-rating. I will see.

Now on with the story

* * *

**Chapter 31: Saying hello**

„Coffee, coffee, coffee" Lorelai yelled when she found her way into the kitchen the next morning. She was in a very good mood after a long night of sleep with the very pleasant disturbance of Luke waking her up and then joining her in the bed.

She had slept right through until ten, then had taken a shower and now here she was.

"Jeez, don't yell", Luke complained and rubbed his temple with one hand and shut his eyes.

"Headache still?" she asked him sympathetically and he nodded silently. "Poor honey-bunny", she cooed and kissed his cheek, before she got a cup of coffee herself. She sat down at the table and took a sip while she watched Luke putting some pancakes on two plates. He handed her one plate, got himself a glass of juice and then joined her at the table.

"Is Rory still asleep?" she asked.

"No, she left a while ago. She was saying something about cake and fireworks", Luke replied and wrinkled his forehead in confusion.

"Ah no!", Lorelai suddenly yelled and slapped her forehead. Luke flinched about the volume of her voice. "Sorry", she said when she saw his expression.

"What are you yelling about?" he asked her.

"I forgot the New Years Eve cake and fireworks party at Sookie's", she replied.

"The what?"

"Every year on the day of New Years Eve Sookie, Rory and me meet early in the morning, at Sookie's to plan the fireworks and eat tons of cake", she said.

"You are not allowed to make fireworks. That's a town-thing", Luke interfered.

"I know. But we are planning the firework WE would make if we were allowed to. But you are missing the point", she argued.

"So the point is the tons of cake and not the firework you're never going to have?" he asked.

"Now you got it!" she smiled proudly at him.

"The thing that frightens me the most is that I don't even find that whole thing the slightest bit strange anymore", Luke sighed.

"We rubbed of on you", Lorelai grinned and leaned over to give him a kiss.

"Urgh, you taste like coffee", Luke complained and pulled back.

"I do most of the times. It's not like I am smoking", she complained.

"But nearly as bad. And normally I don't have a headache and I am not sleep-deprived, so it doesn't bother me", he replied.

"And what do we learn from that? You need advils, a lot of advils", she told him and got up and placed her empty cup and plate in the sink.

"I think I will just go upstairs and sleep some more that will hopefully be enough", he said and got up from the table as well.

"Mmh, go back to bed, good idea", she grinned and slung her arms around his waist.

"Did you hear the part about my headache and sleeping?" he asked.

"Luke, that you are already using the headache thing on me when we are not even married. That is frightening", she teased.

"Lorelai", he sighed exasperatedly.

"Okay, you go upstairs and hold your beauty-sleep so you can celebrate with us tonight and I will go over to Sookie and see if there is any cake left. Should I bring you some?" she asked him and played with the hem of his shirt.

"If there is some pie with fruit and not too much sugar, you can bring some over for me, yes", he said and kissed her softly. "Have fun", he added and kissed her again.

"Sleep well, doll", she smiled, gave him another peck and stroked his cheek, before she grabbed her jacket and he made his way upstairs.

* * *

Luke sighed when he lay down on his side of the bed. He was exhausted and his head was pounding incessantly. 

He was never one for changes- he hated change and lately he felt that it was all too much. The last few months had passed in a blur of events and he had had no time to process anything. Engagement, moving, jealousy, getting together, breaking up, being pregnant, not being pregnant- the aching in his head started to get worse again.

He had spent the time last night in his armchair, contemplating what to do. If he could have done as he wanted he would have just stopped the time and spend the next few days in his armchair until he was feeling better, but he knew that he could not do that, because Lorelai was worried and because he was lacking the abilities to control the time. He knew her good enough that he knew that she was aware she had made a mistake by lying to her mother. She had snapped and he couldn't blame her- yet he did.

But not enough to let her go or even risk their relationship for something stupid. She was right they could be together again and that was all that counted if one summed it up. As long as they were together they could face whatever would come and maybe she was right: What could her mother do now that she thought her daughter was pregnant. Would she really stop paying for her grand-daughters education because she would get another grandchild? They couldn't be sure that the Gilmore's would continue paying for Chilton, because so far neither of them had said anything

But what if they would have a kid eventually? Would they even accept it? Luke wasn't really worried about Richard, but more so about Emily. Would she reject her second grandchild because he would be the father? How would they explain that to the kid? How would they explain that while Rory got everything and was the star of her grandparents eyes their kid would hardly be accepted? His own parents were dead and couldn't make up for it. Luke sighed again and closed his eyes.

He needed some calm and wished he was able to go to the cabin for a few days to just relax and go fishing all alone. He knew though that it wasn't possible. It was New Years Eve after all and he and Lorelai had just got back together if one could call it that. She would be sad and she would doubt everything. After the misery of the last week he couldn't do that to her. She seemed so happy now that he was back and when he thought back to Christmas he knew he didn't want to see her in that state again any time soon or ever.

Lorelai and Rory were at Sookie's now and if he was lucky he would have calmed down a bit more with some more hours of sleep and the advil doing something against his horrible headache. He would get up in some hours, get ready and celebrate with them. And if it was still too much tomorrow or the day after tomorrow he would talk with Lorelai and take a break from everything: Their relationship, the engagement, her parents, the wedding preparations and the baby making. But he would deal with all that in time.

* * *

Sookie's house was buzzing with excitement, because Lorelai had finally made the engagement official and had told them that they would get married as soon as possible. Babette and Patty were grilling her for details and were gushing when she told them how he had given her the ring. 

She spared them the details of her mother's blackmailing and didn't say a word about her pregnancy lie. She was happy to finally be with people who were just happy for her and who wished them both happiness out of heartfelt affection.

It was nice not to be judged and it was even nicer t know that they all knew exactly what a great man her future husband was She didn't need to convince them or argue with them on the behalf of Luke. They all knew him and appreciated him, even though they did not know half as much of him as she did.

When she told the story of Taylor and Kirk spying on them, leaving out the reason why they had done it, everybody laughed and Patty wondered why Luke hadn't killed them yet. Lorelai, of course, knew why, but kept it to herself. She didn't want to relieve the horrible days of separation or the disastrous fight with her mother.

"So tell me honey. How is he... you know?" Patty asked Lorelai and raised her eyebrows. Of course Lorelai knew what she was talking about. It was Miss Patty after all.

"I can't complain", Lorelai shrugged, but her smile gave her away, when it spread over her face and she got that far- away look in her eyes.

"Give us some details! I'm dying here", Babette requested excitedly and moved with her chair closer to Lorelai.

"Daughter in the room. I really don't want to know that", Rory interfered before her mother could answer. And Rory knew that her mother would have answered.

"You're no fun", Lorelai pouted and took another bite of her cake.

"We will wait until your bachelorette party and ask you then. But then you have to answer!" Sookie said and took another cake out of the oven.

"I am so not going to attend to that", Rory said and made a disgusted face.

"Oh don't be shy Rory. There will come a time when you will also come to appreciate certain pieces of a fine young man", Patty grinned naughtily.

"Not before she turns thirty", Lorelai said and the rest laughed.

"Do you have a dress?" Gypsy asked suddenly.

"No, not yet, but I will get one as soon as possible", Lorelai smiled.

"Why are you suddenly in such a hurry to get married? Are you pregnant?" Patty asked.

"Patty, I think you asked me that for at least ten times now and no, I am not pregnant", Lorelai clarified and flinched when she thought of her mother.

"But you do want kids" Patty asked.

"Yes, we do want kids, but that doesn't mean that I am pregnant yet", Lorelai sighed and her tone was now lacking the cheerfulness from before. The women looked at each other, Rory focused on her hands, Lorelai on her coffee cup and they decided to let the topic rest.

"You know Lorelai, when I think of you and Luke I always think of the founding of Stars Hollow", Patty suddenly sighed and broke the weird silence that had arisen.

"How do we remind you of some prudish Mayflower people?" Lorelai asked her confused.

"No, it's not so much the Mayflower, as much as the story of love. A beautiful girl from one county; a handsome boy from another. They meet and they fall in love. Separated by distance and by parents who did not approve of the union," Patty started her story and Lorelai sighed at the mention of the parents. "The young couple dreamed of a day that they could be together. They wrote each other beautiful letters. Letters of longing and passion. Letters full of promises and plans for the future. Soon the separation proved too much for either one of them to bear." Lorelai smiled to herself. She was sure that Patty wasn't aware of how much that story really fitted them. True, they had never written any letters to each other, but who knew what they would have done if she hadn't blurted out that pregnancy lie? "So, one night, cold and black with no light to guide them, they both snuck out of their homes and ran away as fast as they could. It was so dark out that they were both soon lost and it seemed as if they would never find each other. Finally, the girl dropped to her knees, tears streaming down her lovely face. 'Oh, my love. Where are you? How will I find you?' Suddenly, a band of stars appeared in the sky. These stars shone so brightly they lit up the entire countryside. The girl jumped to her feet and followed the path of the stars until finally she found herself standing right where the town gazebo is today. And there waiting for her was her one true love, who had also been led here by the blanket of friendly stars", Patty finished her tale and all women sighed.

"I think we should go now", Lorelai said quietly to Rory, suddenly unable to be away from Luke one more minute.

* * *

When they came back home Luke was still asleep and Lorelai lingered in the doorway of their bedroom for a moment, just watching him sleep in their bed again. She wanted to run her hand through his hair and then make love to him, but she knew that he wasn't feeling well and she should let him rest. That way he would at least be up for the New Years Eve celebration in the town-square. 

When her eyes drifted over to the closet she suddenly remembered the talk about the wedding- dress and the wedding and she knew that she still had to do something after her hasty exit last night at her parents.

Quietly she went downstairs and picked up the phone to call her parents.

"Hello? " Someone answered after the first ring and Lorelai was startled.

"Mom?" she asked.

"Lorelai?" came a surprised reply back. Obviously Emily couldn't really believe that her daughter was calling her.

"Uh, yes, hi", Lorelai replied confused by her mother's surprise.

"Hello"

"Hi. How are you doing?" she asked when she was still too startled to say something else.

"I'm doing fine", Emily replied.

"That's good".

"And how are you.. and … how are you?" Emily asked and the connotation wasn't lost on Lorelai. Her mother was really asking how she and the baby were. The non- existing baby. Suddenly she felt bad and wished she could tell her that she was not pregnant.

"Good", Lorelai replied.

"I'm pleased".

"How's Dad?"

"What do you want Lorelai?" Emily tried to end this game.

"Um, I was just calling to say hello", Lorelai stalled.

"And now you have".

"Okay, good".

"Was there anything else that you wanted to add to that hello?" Emily asked her.

"Well, as a matter of fact, there is", she started.

"Ah ha".

"Um, you know Rory."

"Yes, I believe I do." Emily nodded.

"She wanted to say hello too", Lorelai stalled again.

"Lorelai, I'm late for the party already. I'd love to know why", her mother replied unnerved.

"Mom, just hear me out, okay, and don't say anything. Um, see I just wanted to tell you that Luke and I agreed to get married as soon as possible, which means at the end of January or the beginning of februrary. And we know it's short notice and everything, but we think it is best under… the current circumstances. We hope that you can make it to the wedding and uhm.. I would like it if Dad would walk me down the aisle. If he wants that is…" , Lorelai stuttered.

"You are right that is short notice, but as I already said I will call the wedding planner I know and I think she can help us preparing everything. Miss Celine will be here next week with several dresses, just tell me when you have the time to come over, so we can get you a decent dress and maybe.. adjust it if it doesn't fit around the middle anymore", Emily told Lorelai, who was completely stunned. She wasn't even realizing that her mother had told her on no uncertain terms that she would be planning the wedding with her, if not for her.

"Are you sure?", she asked when she found her voice again.

"I believe I am".

"No arguments?"

"No".

"Well, four weeks mom".

"I understand", Emily said.

"Four", Lorelai repeated again.

"I heard".

"Five weeks tops"

"I assumed as much", Emily stated again.

"Okay", Lorelai nodded.

"Anything else?" Emily asked.

"Uh, you know, actually, no. Happy new year mom", she smiled.

"Happy new year Lorelai", Emily gave the wish back and they both hung up.

"Huh, that was strange", Lorelai said when she had hung up and stared at the phone.

* * *

It was a few minutes before midnight and the town-square was full of people, who all were gathered around a huge bone-fire, chatting and drinking punch. Luke was actually feeling better and he sat on a bench and watched the people around him, waiting for Lorelai to come back from her round. When she finally sat down beside him again she had two cups with punch in her hands. 

"You saw everyone?" he asked her and took one cup from her. He wasn't so much into punch, but it was cold and the punch was warm.

"Oh yeah, they are all in a exceptionally good mood. The firelight really changes people. Ya know, makes them be happier, freer, all troubles of the world completely gone", Lorelai said philosophically. She had already had some cups of that punch.

"I don't think that's the firelight. I think it's the punch they've been selling", Luke grinned.

"Oh yeah, that stuff is good", Lorelai smiled back and leaned back against the back of the bench and Luke's arm. He wrapped it around her and she let herself fall against the side of his body.

"That stuff will kill you", Luke muttered against her hair, but it made Lorelai only smile brighter, because she knew he would drink his cup as well.

"Is your headache really gone?" she asked after a moment of silence.

"Yeah it's gone", he nodded.

"So you're done processing?"she asked, because she knew exactly why he had had the headache in the first place.

"Nearly. Not completely but I am getting there. But let's just focus on us for tonight, ok? Forget about your parents", he requested.

"That's what I love about you", Lorelai laughed slightly and gave him a quick kiss.

"Did you see Harry and Taylor get into a fist fight while you were making your round?" he asked her then.

"No! Aww! How did I miss that? I'm so bummed!", she complained and pouted.

"It was good", Luke chuckled and kissed her pouting lips.

"This is nice", Lorelai said when he pulled back after a few seconds.

"What?"

"Sitting here together, waiting for the ball to drop. That's nice", she clarified.

"Yeah it is. Unless you get completely drunk and start throwing up", Luke teased her.

"Still nice", Lorelai grinned when suddenly the rest of the people started counting backwards and Lorelai joined them.

"Three, two, one, Happy new year!" she yelled with the rest of the crowd and then pulled Luke to her and kissed him fiercely. Her hands tangled in his hair and she nipped at his bottom lip, completely oblivious to what was going on around them. Until Rory ran up to them.

"Mom, Luke! Happy new year!" she yelled and hugged them both when they finally pulled back from the kiss.

"Happy new year kid", Lorelai smiled and hugged her daughter back. Rory was followed by Sookie and Babette. When Luke saw Patty approaching with a grin and her drunken look on his... privates he leaned over to Lorelai.

"Why don't we go back to the house and use the time Rory will be out here celebrating to celebrate a bit on our own?" he whispered in her ear.

"My my Mr. Danes", Lorelai teased him, kissed him again and slung her arms around his waist and let him pull her tightly against him. Like that they made their way back to the house for their own private celebration.

**TBC**


	32. Need breasts

**Huh, so I am really starting to worry. Is anybody still reading this? Are you still out there? No mass suicide of my readers and reviewers or a black hole swallowed them all? Are you still alive?**

* * *

**Chapter 32:**** Need breasts?**

The next week had passed in a blur of activities, appointments and calls. Luke and Lorelai had needed a medical check up for the license and they had needed to buy and send out the invitations, call friends, family and whatever companies and services they needed.

Reverend Skinner had cancelled another wedding just to make time for THE wedding in town. Sookie had gone ballistic when she heard that she should cook the menu and make the cake. Luke didn't need to cook anymore, because Sookie was having them taste meals and cakes several times a day and that was enough. Miss Patty was already rehearsing with her ballerinas for the engagement party they would throw the couple, without that they knew it yet. Kirk was goggling ideas for the bachelor's party and Rory was still set on not coming to Lorelai's bachelorette party out of fear that she would get too detailed information about her mother's sex life.

However not only Stars Hollow was going crazy because of the wedding: Emily and Richard Gilmore were as well. While Richard had to delay a business trip and several meetings for the wedding, the parties and the rehearsal, his wife had other problems as she was trying to find outfits for herself, her husband, the groom and the bride. She wanted to give Lorelai some choices, she knew she had to, but the first choice she did herself and told Miss Celine exactly what she had in mind for each of them.

On Friday morning, three weeks before the actual wedding Lorelai stumbled into the diner very early in the morning. Luke was standing behind the counter and raised his eyebrows in surprise when he saw his fiancée.

"What are you doing here?" he asked her.

"Coffee. Gimme. Now!" she said and sat down on a chair and started to search in her purse.

"No time for full sentences?" Luke asked her.

"Then you would be constantly in a hurry, Mr. Monosyllabical", she replied. Luke turned around and poured her a cup of coffee which he handed to her. She took it and gulped it down immediately.

"Jeez, slow down", Luke said.

"I don't have the time to slow down. I have to call the wedding planer and tell her that now I decided on white flowers and not on yellow ones. Yellow does not go with our eyes. Then Sookie wants me to try another cake she made in the middle of the night and knowing Sookie that will take a while as well. Then I have to call the wedding planer as well, after I looked through the replies and tell her who rsv-ed so far and who will be coming and who won't. Then I have to kick Michel's butt, because he gave away three of our reserved rooms at the Inn and finally I have to be at my parent's at two this afternoon, because Miss Celine will come over with the wedding dresses, so that I can finally get a dress. And have I mentioned that I need to breath and eat in between and that I will miss another meeting of this strange club at Chilton?" she rambled and had to catch her breath when she finished, before she gulped down the rest of her coffee.

"Why don't you hand over your list? I can make some calls from here", Luke offered.

"Yeah sure and then it will be invitations all over again", she laughed.

"I told you I did not order them with gold borders and this horrible melody thing inside", Luke defended himself.

"Of course you did not", Lorelai said sarcastically.

"I did not", he said again sternly.

"Ok, I have no time for this discussion now. Remember to show up at my parent's tonight and be punctual. Actually I wouldn't mind if you would come over early. And I am not talking about only a few minutes here", Lorelai said and got off her chair.

"See you tonight", Luke nodded.

"See you", she replied and leaned over the counter and gave him a long kiss goodbye.

* * *

When Lorelai arrived at her parents house she was already half an hour late because Sookie wouldn't stop forcing her to try cake and whatnot. 

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I know, I know", Lorelai said when her mother opened the door, already with a disapproving look.

"Lorelai, it's really not polite to let Miss Celine wait", Emily lectured her.

"I know. Have I mentioned that I am sorry? But Sookie was having some crisis in the kitchen and I had to talk to her, otherwise we would have ten cakes or none at the wedding", Lorelai said and sighed.

"Do you feel unwell?" Emily asked her when she saw that Lorelai started to rub her temples.

"Just a headache", Lorelai dismissed it.

"You're as red as a lobster in the face", Emily said and pointed to Lorelai's face.

"It's just the stress mom. My blood pressure must be five-hundred to something", Lorelai sighed again, slightly annoyed already.

"Then you should sit down and relax for a moment. It's not good for the baby if you stress yourself so much. Actually if you keep having such a high blood pressure you shouldn't wait and go to your gynaecologist", Emily went on.

"Mom, please! Can we just go and look at these dresses now?" Lorelai was now really annoyed.

"Lorelai! Why are you so irresponsible? Can't you see that you're putting the life of your unborn child in danger?" Emily said harshly and looked really worried.

"Mom… I… I", Lorelai stuttered, honestly at a loss what to reply to that. She wished again that she could tell her mother that she was not pregnant. At least not yet, or not that she knew of. She and Luke had had sex of course, though not as often as usually, because the week had been so stressful and they both had been just tired.

"You will sit down now and drink something until you have calmed down. Miss Celine waited for half an hour, she can wait half an hour longer", Emily ordered and send Lorelai into the living-room, where she sat down obediently and drank the glass of water Emily brought her. She knew that her mother was worried and that caused her too have an even worse conscience than she already had.

* * *

After twenty minutes and a lot of awkward small talk Emily finally allowed Lorelai to get up and Lorelai had to admit that the pause had done her good. Her headache was nearly gone and the nervous flutters in her stomach had vanished as well. 

Together they walked upstairs and found Emily's dressing room filled with wedding dresses. Lorelai gasped when she saw all that white and looked at her mother with an open mouth.

"Well, I already sorted out the first round of dresses, no it's your choice to make", Emily shrugged. Suddenly a voice came from somewhere behind the dresses.

"Ah, Emily. Wonderful timing. Please start with the Oscar de la

Renta. Susan Hayworth never wore anything but de la Renta in her final days.

Clark Gable never knew what he was missing.", the woman laughed. "He was a cad, but the

crease in his pants was immaculate.", she went on and finally emerged from the closet she had been in. When she saw Lorelai she gasped. "Oh, my God! It's Natalie Wood", she said and pointed to Lorelai.

"Hello, Miss Celine. You look wonderful", Lorelai greeted her. She knew that woman, it had been the one who had sold her parents the dress for her ball sixteen years ago. The dress that had not fitted anymore in the end.

"Olive oil on the inside and on the outside. Anna Manana taught me that", the elder woman with a strange hat replied with a laugh. Then she went to one of the hallstands and pulled out a dress. Mother and daughter looked at each other and Lorelai made a face, then she faced Miss Celine again.

"I think this has too much tulle, Celine", Emily said with a slight smile on her face and saw Lorelai nodding beside her.

"Ah, there can't be too much tulle, as long as it's Italian. What do you think, Natalie?" the woman turned to Lorelai.

"Yes, what do you think? You are the bride", Emily teased her.

"I think my mother is right Miss Celine. Too much tulle. Definitely," Lorelai said and shuddered when she looked at the horrible dress. The bodice was blush colored silk tulle, and it had little crystal beads on it. The skirt was a blush silk tulle, with a blush silk satin lining, and the back went into a train and it had a cream satin sash.

"Ok, then what do you think of this one?" Celine asked and pulled out another dress.

"Well, I kind of like that one, or even the one next to it", Lorelai nodded and pointed to another dress.

"Then go and try them both", Emily said and pushed Lorelai in the direction of the dressing room.

"Ok, ok, no need to push me here", Lorelai muttered but took the dresses and went into the dressing room.

"You'll try them all. I had the worst row with Dietrich once. I told her, "Marlene, until you actually become a man you must try dresses on like a woman." And that means all of them"", Celine told Lorelai and Emily while Lorelai was changing and had to laugh about that. "You must be excited to get married Natalie", the woman went on.

"Yes I really am", Lorelai said and stepped out wearing the first dress. She looked into the mirror and then at her mother, and they both shook their heads at the same time. So she went back into the dressing room to try on the next dress.

"It's not easy to find the one", Celine sighed.

"Yeah, I know. Believe me, I do. But Luke and I had a talk about that exactly and he said that if you can find that one person, you know, who's willing to put up with all your crap, and doesn't want to change you or dress you or you know, make you eat French food, then marriage can be all right. But that's only if you find that person", Lorelai repeated her fiancé's words.

"What's wrong about French food?" Emily asked confused.

"Luke's not really fond of French food", Lorelai laughed and stepped out of the dressing room again, this time in another dress.

"Charming", Celine complimented, but Lorelai made a face when she saw her reflection in the mirror. "So Natalie, you won't make your husband eat French food then I guess?" Celine asked while Lorelai started to look around herself.

"Oh no, I won't", Lorelai said with a soft smile on her face and found a dress at the same time, which she liked. She took it with her into the dressing-room.

"So you must be the right one for him then", Emily said surprisingly and Lorelai was worried, because she could not see her mother's face while she said this. She sounded neutral, but with Emily Gilmore one never knew.

"Seems like it, yeah", she replied in the same tone.

"And is he the right for you?" Emily asked and Celine then walked over to the dressing room with something in her hands.

"Natalie, do you need breasts or are yours sufficing for the moment?" she asked.

"I'm fine for the moment", Lorelai replied and then wrinkled her fore head and though for a second what to answer her mother. "You know mom, " she started then, "I never saw myself getting married", she said.

"Never?" Emily asked surprised and Lorelai tried to hurry to put on the dress, because she needed to see her mother's face, so she knew if her mother was honest or not.

"Not until you, uhm, did what you did... I think. I mean I guess I thought about marrying Christopher when everyone was freaking out because I was pregnant, but I never thought about it in a longingly, good way", Lorelai went on.

"Did you love him?," Emily went on with her questioning.

"Chris? No, I didn't. I wanted to, but...I didn't. I don't think I ever really loved anyone, until Luke", Lorelai replied honestly.

"When did you realize that you love him? You weren't so fond of my idea at first", Emily said and Miss Celine wrinkled her forehead because of the strange conversation mother and daughter were having.

"I saw this guy in front of me who was a real...man. He was solid, and he was strong. He would protect me, but he, he got me. I knew all that when we were only friends and then when he moved in. But that moment, when I realized how much he cared for Rory, that was it. Suddenly I knew I wanted him as in more than a friend and I wanted him fort he rest of my life", Lorelai admitted and stepped out of the dressing room. Emily and Celine stared at her and she got self conscious.

"Oh, dear", Miss Celine said softly and clasped her hands in front of her chest, while Emily was still speechless. Slowly Lorelai made her way to the mirror and gasped when she saw her reflection. That was it, she was sure. It was a strapless, white dress with a cathedral train. It was a satin gown with embroideries and beadwork for decoration. It fitted perfectly, like it had been made for her.

"Veil or no veil?" Lorelai asked with a bright smile when she turned around.

"Your head is too big for a veil", Emily said.

"Thanks mom", Lorelai huffed and turned back to the mirror to take another look at herself. She smiled happily.

"A tiara would be great though", Emily said then.

"A tiara?" Lorelai asked suspiciously.

"Yes a tiara. You can have mine if you want", Emily replied and Lorelai turned around surprised to see her mother's face. She really wasn't joking.

"That would look fabulous", Miss Celine nodded.

"I would like that mom", Lorelai admitted and then turned back to the mirror again, so she could look at herself a while longer.

Emily watched her daughter closely and observed how she watched herself in the dress. She was moving from side to side so the skirt started to swing and she recalled what Lorelai had told her about Luke and herself. Lorelai sighed with happiness and Emily wrinkled her forehead in confusion.

**TBC**

**Please review and tell me you're still alive **


	33. Ketchup wedding

**So I made this chapter a bit longer, because I am so happy you are all still alive. There's dialogue borrowed (and changed of course) from episodes 2.1, 2.2 and 2.14. I hope you like it. Forgive me about the lack of Emily action in here, I know that is why you are all reading this chapter (joking, joking). Hope you like it.  
**

* * *

**Chapter 33: Ketchup wedding **

Another week later, it was now only one and a half weeks left until the wedding, Lorelai entered the diner in the afternoon, for her coffee and Luke fix. The wedding-craziness hadn't slowed down, in fact it had even increased. There were still so many details that needed to be taken care of and only thinking about it made Lorelai hyperventilate.

When she came in she saw Taylor on one of the tables and she spotted Luke making his rounds with coffee.

"Hi hon'', Lorelai greeted him and sat down at the counter.

"I'll be with you in a second", Luke nodded. "More?" Luke asked Taylor when he stopped at his table.

"Absotivalutely", Taylor replied with a happy expression and that made Luke suspicious.

"What's up Taylor?" Luke asked him and narrowed his eyes at him.

"Up, I know of nothing up", Taylor joked lamely and laughed. That made even Lorelai suspicious who turned around on her chair.

"What's up Taylor?" Luke asked him again, less friendly than before.

"I'm just happy", Taylor shrugged it off and turned his attention to the cup of coffee in front of him.

"That's what makes me nervous", Luke deadpanned and walked towards the counter where Lorelai sat.

"You're a paranoid man Luke. I feel very sad for you", Taylor told him and Luke sighed.

"He's up to something", Lorelai said and Luke nodded. Lorelai smiled then, slung her arms around his neck and pulled him down for a kiss. Luke gave in and kissed her back, but pulled back when he felt her tongue on his lips.

"We're in the diner", he told her while her arms were still slung around his neck.

"But I need my Luke-fix after this stressing day. And it's not even over yet", she yammered.

"Luke-fix?" he asked and raised his eyebrows. She nodded. "You're really nuts", he told her and pecked her pouting lips before he stepped back and walked behind the counter.

"You're no fun", she complained, but smiled gratefully when he placed a mug with coffee in front of her.

"Well, there's nothing like a family to screw up a wedding", Luke sighed.

"What happened?" Lorelai asked him worried.

"Auntie Junie doesn't eat chicken, Uncle Momo's off his meds", Luke said.

"Junie and Momo?" Lorelai asked confused.

"June, my father's cousin and her husband", Luke clarified.

"Ah", Lorelai nodded, that sounded more familiar.

"And then let's not forget that Liz is coming with Jess and Randy and Barbara will come with their brat kid. My cousins Paul and Jim will stop by before they go on a fishing trip and already warned me that they might not have appropriate clothes with them. And there's my disturbed cousin Franny said she can't leave Petey alone and she will bring him with her." Luke finished his list of relatives.

"Son?" Lorelai asked and took a sip of her coffee.

"Parrot" Luke replied and Lorelai started to cough.

"Petey the parrot?" she asked when she had calmed down.

"I saw the stupid thing once on a visit, flapping its wings like crazy, banging around, squawking the only two words it knows over and over – Petey and gorgeous. Gorgeous, Petey, gorgeous, Petey!" Luke said and imitated the voice of the bird and Lorelai laughed.

"That's disturbing", she giggled.

"My family's disturbing", Luke grumbled and Lorelai grabbed him by his collar and pulled him close for a quick kiss.

"Guess that makes us even", she said when she pulled back "I mean you know my mother, right?"

"I know, I know. But now I have to work. The diner has been busy as hell all day. Crazy people, the whole town should be medicated and put in a rec room with ping pong tables and hand puppets. I didn't even have time to grab something to eat myself yet", Luke told her and took some plates from Cesar and delivered them to the tables before he came back.

"It's three o'clock and you haven't eaten anything yet?" Lorelai asked him.

"I ate an apple after the breakfast crowd had left".

"Luke you have to eat something. Believe it or not, but I don't think a half starved groom is sexy. I like a little meat on my man", she said.

"I will eat when I find the time to", Luke shrugged it off and Lorelai could hear his stomach growl right that moment.

"Ok, that's it. You go upstairs and eat something now while I will take over here. Come back down when you're done", she told him, got off her chair and pushed him behind the curtain.

"Hey", Luke complained and turned around to complain. Lorelai silenced him with a kiss and gave him another push. Finally he gave in and went upstairs to eat something.

Lorelai grinned when she walked behind the counter, finally she was allowed to. She grabbed an apron and tied it around her waist before she took the plates from Cesar, who told her where to deliver them. She had worked for some minutes and was just getting the hang of when the diner door opened and her mother stepped in. Lorelai didn't see her at first and was startled when she heard her mother's voice.

"Lorelai, what are you doing?" Emily shrieked when she saw her daughter standing behind the diner counter wearing an apron.

"I'm serving people", Lorelai grinned and teased her mother.

"So you gave up your job in the hotel?" Emily asked and was shocked.

"No, mother. I'm helping out Luke. I came her for a cup of coffee and the poor guy hadn't eaten a thing all day. So I send him upstairs to get something to eat and when he comes back I'll go back to the Inn", Lorelai explained. "But what are you doing here?" she asked her.

"I wanted to tell you that I got the confirmation for the flower arrangements today and that I talked with Sookie earlier at the hotel and we agreed that the cake should be harmonized with the flowers. So I gave Sookie the pictures of the flower arrangements I picked out", Emily informed her.

"Okay. I am still hoping that you are planning my wedding and not the wedding you think we should have", Lorelai said. She hadn't been allowed to see any of the decorations yet and that made her more than nervous.

"I am planning your wedding, Lorelai. The wedding you want," Emily insisted.

"Right", Lorelai said and still didn't really trust her mother. She already had had a nightmare of pink tulle and red roses.

"The wedding I am planning is for Luke and you. I gave up on the dream of the wedding I would chose for you a long time ago. It was going to be a Russian winter theme – the Romanovs", Emily sighed.

"Before the firing squad, I assume?" Lorelai teased her mother.

"Snow white roses, trees with white lights and candles, snow everywhere, you arriving in a silver sleigh with white horses", Emily went on.

"Wow", Lorelai said impressed. That really didn't sound that bad and she hoped that there were white flowers at her wedding. Even if she wasn't much into roses.

"You hate the idea", Emily said and looked a bit hurt.

"No, no, I just – ", Lorelai sighed and wasn't sure how to explain it.

"You just hate it", Emily concluded.

"No, it just doesn't seem like Luke and me", Lorelai said and thought about what flowers her mothers could have picked out.

"Yes, well, it would've been beautiful", Emily insisted.

"I'm sure it would've been", Lorelai gave in.

"Anyhow, it's obvious that wouldn't even be appropriate anymore being as I'm probably standing in your reception hall", Emily said and looked around the diner.

"Excuse me?", Lorelai laughed surprised.

"Burgers and fries for the dinner? The bride walks down the aisle with a ketchup dispenser in her hand. Is that what you planned?", Emily asked.

"Mom, please tell me that you know we wouldn't get married like that", Lorelai still laughed, but one could see in her eyes that she was really shocked.

"Yes, I know. I really believe that the wedding will be beautiful", Emily admitted just when Luke came down the stairs.

"Hi Emily", he greeted his future mother in law.

"You ate something?" Lorelai asked him.

"I did", he shrugged and Lorelai stopped him when he wanted to grab the coffee pot. She lay her hands on his chest and raised her eyebrows.

"I really did. I made me a sandwich and a salad", he told her and she nodded and then gave him a peck before she took of her apron and handed it to him

"I have to go." Emily suddenly said and walked to the door. There she stopped and turned around. "Luke, what do you think of the Romanovs?" she asked him and Luke looked at her confused.

"They probably had it coming", he answered after a second and Lorelai giggled.

"A match made in heaven", Emily rolled her eyes and left the diner.

"What was that all about?" Luke turned to Lorelai who was still laughing.

"Believe me: You don't want to know", she said and walked around the counter.

"So, what are we going tonight? We're still off Friday night dinner because of the wedding preparations, which is odd enough", Lorelai asked him.

""I don't know. To be honest I think I will be beat tonight. The diner has been crazy all day and I had to open today", he said.

"OK. Maybe we could watch a movie though?" Lorelai asked disappointed.

"We can do that", he nodded and gave her a small smile that made her heart start beating faster. She just loved it when he smiled. "Jeez, what are they doing out there?" Luke suddenly said and made his way around the counter. Lorelai followed him outside where all the citizens who had been in the diner before were now gathered around Taylor.

"What are they doing Taylor?" Luke asked him immediately.

"Looks like they're coning off the street", Taylor said watched some men.

" Taylor!", Luke yelled unnerved and Lorelai took his hand, so he wouldn't kill Taylor before they had an explanation.

"Well, if you must know, they are a county work crew here to install Stars Hollow's first traffic light and metered crosswalk," Taylor replied and Luke turned around to the work crew.

"Hold it!" he told them.

"Keep going", Taylor told them and then turned to Luke. "You have no controlling legal authority over this matter".

"Stuff it Taylor. Hold it!" Luke said.

"Keep going. And I will not stuff it", Taylor said.

"What authority did you have to authorize this? You're supposed to inform local business owners of major projects per the town's rules, meaning me", Luke replied.

"Go Luke!", Lorelai said and earned herself a death-stare from her fiancé.

"Not when it's a matter of dire public safety, where the city charter clearly states that I can function unilaterally in the town's best interest," Taylor argued back.

"Dire public safety! We haven't had an accident here in ten years!" Luke insisted.

"You can't stop progress Luke", Taylor said and Luke turned to Lorelai.

"It's unbelievable. This is the traffic light which he got from… you know", he said when he saw that the whole town was listening.

"Well, it can always be taken out…with your bare hands", Lorelai shrugged and leaned closer to him. "Or with your teeth, since you are really good at taking things off with your teeth", she whispered in a sultry voice.

"Lorelai", Luke said and blushed.

"Ok, hon'. Now that I succeeded to make you blush I have to go. I still have to make some calls. See you later", she smiled, pecked him one more time on the lips and then walked off, with an extra jaunt because she knew Luke was watching her. After a few steps she turned around and winked at him, which made him blush even more.

"Welcome townspeople! I", Taylor interrupted his little bubble of joy and Luke threw a crumbled piece of paper at him, which was the last order, he still had held in hands. "So you're gonna spoil it for all of us right off the bat, huh Luke?", Taylor asked Luke.

"Why waste time?" Luke replied and then walked grumbling back into the diner, slamming the door shut behind him.

"Townspeople, we should all be proud of the new addition to our streets. I know many of you have wanted a traffic light and a crosswalk for many years and now, your dream has come true", Taylor started his speech and Luke suddenly pulled the door open again and stuck his head out.

"It's like Hitler's Germany", he yelled.

"Luke!" Taylor yelled back.

"You're trying to brainwash us, Taylor. Telling us we want something that we don't and not giving us any choice", Luke went on.

"Everybody, let me segue into the informational portion of our gathering. If I can turn your attention to the pole here, you will see a yellow button with an instructional panel right above it", Taylor said to the townspeople. "Now if you'll read the panel above the button, you'll learn how the system works", he said.

"'To cross street, push yellow button, wait for walk signal. When signal reads walk, step into street and proceed to the other side.'", Miss Patty read aloud.

"It's written for morons", Luke said. "I will not use this and I won't even look at it!" he said and then slammed the door shut again and closed the blinds in the diner.

"Success I would say", Sookie grinned when she saw that Luke closed the last blind. "Let's start decorating people", she announced and everyone disappeared and left Taylor alone with his shiny new traffic light.

* * *

That evening Luke and Lorelai were huddle up under a blanket on the couch and watched a movie. Rory still wasn't back from Dean and it gave the two adults some alone time. 

"Do you think we could light a fire? That would be so romantic", Lorelai asked Luke a few minutes into the film.

"Maybe after I checked the fireplace and installed an alarm, but at the moment: no", Luke shook his head and pulled her closer when she pouted. "You're cold?" he asked her and rubbed her arms.

"A bit. But you know there is something you could do to warm me up", she grinned and slung her arms around his neck.

"Ah really. Make you some soup?" he asked her and smiled.

"No", she replied and kissed him softly.

"Tea?"

"No", she shook her head again and gave him another kiss.

"Hot chocolate?" he asked huskily.

"Uhuh", she said and kissed him longer. Luke lay down and pulled her on top of him while they resumed kissing. Soon Lorelai slipped her tongue into his mouth and he welcomed it with his own. Lorelai sighed happily while she kissed him, because she had missed him during the last weeks. They barely had time for each other because of the wedding craziness.

"You're not getting any coffee", Luke mumbled during the kiss and she had the laugh.

"Shhh", she shushed him though and the kiss escalated when Luke slipped his hands under her shirt and stroked her back. Slowly he rolled them to the side, careful that they wouldn't fall off the narrow couch. Lorelai moaned when his hands moved to her front and massaged her breasts. She bit his lower lip playfully and pulled his shirt up. She just wanted to pull it over his head when the doorbell rang. They both groaned and Lorelai slowly got off the couch.

"This better be an emergency", Lorelai said when she opened the door. It was Sookie.

"It is. You have to come! Hurry, hurry! Where is Luke?" Sookie asked and marched into the house.

"Sookie! What is wrong?" Luke asked and sat up.

"Get dressed and hurry. I'll tell you when we get there", Sookie said when she saw that they both wore their pyjamas.

"Is something with Rory?" Lorelai asked frantically.

"No. Why?" Sookie asked confused.

"God", Luke groaned and then he went upstairs with Lorelai where they both got dressed quickly and then hurried down the stairs.

"Sookie what is it? What happened?" Lorelai asked her friend while they hurried after her towards the town-square. They were too caught up in worrying and asking to realize where they were going. Suddenly there was a whistle and then the whole town-square lit up with thousands of twinkling lights. The gazebo was decorated with purple ribbons, there were heating mantles and all the townspeople were there. Lorelai even spotted her parents amongst the crowd. Music started and Patty came over to them.

"Come, come. You two love-birds", she said and grabbed their hands.

"What is this?" Luke asked and looked around.

"Your engagement party of course", Patty smiled and led them to two thrones.

"I am not sitting on that". Luke shook his head when he saw the thrones.

"But Luke look. They make us the king and queen of Stars Hollow, and we got our own purple thrones. Come on!" Lorelai tugged at his hand excitedly.

"Did you know about that?" he asked her and narrowed his eyes.

"Would I have gotten us all hot and bothered then?" she asked back and Patty grinned.

"Oh, you two naughty sweethearts", she gushed and hurried of.

"I guess later that evening we will had hot sex on the kitchen table or so", Lorelai laughed and sat down.

"The kitchen table?" Luke asked her and sat down on his own throne.

"Sookie always thought we would have our first time on top of a table", Lorelai said nonchalantly.

"Jeez", Luke muttered.

"Hey mom, Luke", Rory suddenly showed up.

"Ha, traitor!" Lorelai said and pointed with her finger at her daughter.

"Didn't want to ruin the surprise for you", Rory grinned and then hugged her mother and Luke.

"I can't believe you were able to keep this to yourself", Lorelai said surprised.

"Well, it helped that you were so stressed with all the preparations to look straight through me", Rory laughed and hugged her mother again.

"Evil child", Lorelai teased her.

"Ok, no presents for you", Rory said.

"There are presents?" Lorelai asked exitedly.

"There are presents". Rory nodded.

"Gimme!" Lorelai requested.

"Soon, but first I have to take the megaphone from Kirk. He is annoying", Rory said and hurried off.

"There will be presents", Lorelai sighed happily when she turned to Luke.

"Yup, I heard. I also have a present for you later", he said.

"Can't wait for that", she smiled at him and laced her fingers through his on top of the arm rest.

* * *

Later that night Lorelai was sitting in Luke's lap on his throne. She wore a pink tiara and rested her head on his shoulder while he played with her hair, lost in thought. 

"So, that's it, huh?" Lorelai broke the silence.

"Yup", he nodded and kissed her forehead.

"Any second thoughts? Doubt that you can stand me for the rest of your life" she asked him and looked up.

"Nope", he replied and then added pensively, "I mean, people grow and evolve their whole lives. The chances that you're gonna grow and evolve at the same rate as someone else is really slim.But I mean… I guess if you can find that one person… you know my speech" he finished and Lorelai smiled.

"Yeah, if you find that person", Lorelai whispered and kissed him. He caressed her face with his thumbs while they kissed and even Luke forgot about the people around them and all he could think of was his fiancée and this kiss. They even missed the "Aw" that erupted.

"Sorry to interrupt, but I think you should open the dance", Sookie giggled and tapped Lorelai on the shoulder a minute later when they were still kissing softly.

"Sookie, I think one more interruption from you and you will lose your spot as the bridesmaid", Lorelai threatened her before she got off Luke's lap and Luke sighed and obediently followed her to the dance-floor.

"You know that we got together was pretty inevitable" Lorelai continued their talk on the dance-floor while they walzed.

"You mean like rain? Or tax?" Luke replied.

"Nice analogy", Lorelai laughed and leaned her forehead against his.

"I always knew I have my way with words", he joked and made Lorelai laugh again. She hugged him and buried her face in his shirt for a second before she looked up again.

"I can't wait for us to be finally married", she whispered in his ear and kissed his cheek.

"Then we just have to get you pregnant and we can stop worrying", Luke said and Lorelai's smile disappeared.

"Hopefully I already am", she sighed and buried her face in his shoulder again.

"It will be okay. Everything will be okay in the end", he assured her and stroked her hair while they danced slowly, unaware that Emily's eyes had been resting on them the whole evening.

* * *

After the dance and a while where they talked with their friends Luke pulled her away from the crowd and led her back home. 

"Hey, cowboy the party isn't over yet", she laughed and shivered because it was really cold now that they were away from the heating mantles.

"I just want to show you my present. We can go back afterwards", he said and lay his arm around her shoulders and pulled her to him to keep her warm.

They reached the house and Luke walked to the garage. He unlocked the door and opened it.

"Huh, didn't know I had a lock on that door", Lorelai said.

"You didn't. I installed it so you wouldn't find the present accidentally", he replied and switched on the light.

"What is that?" Lorelai asked him and looked in awe at the beautiful thing in front of her.

"It's a chuppah", Luke said.

"A what?" she asked and softly touched the wood.

"A chuppah. We will stand under it. It's for our wedding", he said.

"You really made that?"

"Yeah", Luke nodded.

"Luke, it's beautiful", she said still in awe and squeezed his hand.

"Yeah, well, I saw a picture in a book. The picture looked better", he shrugged.

"It's got carvings. Birds and flowers", she said.

"Yeah, there's also a goat", Luke replied and showed her the goat.

"A goat", she exclaimed.

"Yeah, I don't know what it stands for, but it was in the picture, and you like goats, right?" he asked her.

"Yeah, goats are good", she smiled.

"Okay, so there you go", he shrugged again.

"What on earth inspired you to do this?" she asked him and slung her arms around his middle.

"We're getting married outside. We can't just stand in the snow or the rain in the middle of a lawn. So we have something to stand other and won't get sick", he explained.

"Aren't chuppahs Jewish?" she asked him.

"Maybe", he replied.

"Is it okay that we aren't Jewish?" she wanted to know.

"It's okay by me", Luke smiled.

"No, but I mean to stand under it. God won't smite us or anything?" she asked.

"I highly doubt it. Plus God'd probably have to get a license from Taylor and the allowance of your mother to do any smiting in Stars Hollow on a weekend we are getting married, so I'd say we're safe", he explained.

"We're really getting married", Lorelai beamed up at him.

"That we are", he smiled back and kissed her. Slowly they moved under the chuppah, never breaking the kiss until Lorelai's back touched the wood.

"We should go back to the party", Lorelai mumbled.

"Yeah", he replied in a low and sexy voice that made Lorelai want to rip his clothes of.

"Inside? Bedroom?" she asked and kissed him again, more passionate this time.

"Finally", he said and picked her up bridal style and carried her inside to be finally alone with her.

**TBC **


	34. Presents and hoopla

So, missed me? Sorry for the wait, I hope the chapter will make up for it. One scene I had in my head for quite a while. Oh and I want to give out two prizes! One for **pattyweb0606**, bevause she noticed that I used the descrition of the "perfect dress" in the last chapter and the other goes to **Severien** because she realized the Celine Dion lyrics in the chapter. Congrats to both of you! Enjoy your virtual cookie!

* * *

**Chapter 34: Presents and hoopla**

After a lot of discussion Luke and Lorelai had decided that she would have a bachelorette party three days before the actual wedding. Lorelai of course had convinced her fiancé, because he was not willing at first to agree that she would hang out with her friends and get mind numbingly drunk. Lorelai had thought about having her party a day before the wedding, because that way she would have some company the night she would have to spend without Luke. They had changed the plan though, when Luke had asked her if she really wanted to stay away from the alcohol or get married with a major hang-over. Both didn't sound appealing and so they had come up with this new plan.

Luke hadn't been sure what he should do at first, the thought of having a bachelor party with Taylor and Kirk made him gag, but he had decided to invite some friends and relatives and just go for a beer with them. He hoped that they wouldn't plan any funny stuff like strippers, because he was sure he would snap that second and would end the party right there.

"Babe, when will your cousins arrive?" Lorelai yelled from the bathroom into the bedroom, where Luke was sitting and watching a baseball match on TV.

"Around six. Why?" he yelled back.

"Because the girls will be over by seven and I want you gone then, so you won't spoil the fun with your sheer presence", she grinned when she walked into the bedroom, only a towel wrapped around her.

"How would I do that?" he asked and raised his eyebrows while Lorelai opened the drawer and took out some panties and a bra.

"Well, for once if they hire a stripper for the beginning and then you open the door or you are still in the room. I think you wouldn't just ask him to leave", she still grinned.

"You bet I wouldn't", he nodded and then snorted at the thought.

"See, that's why I want you gone by then", she told him again.

"Message received", he nodded and stood up. He walked towards her and wrapped his arms around her, while she was rummaging through her closet looking for something to wear. "You won't let him touch you", Luke said in a low voice directly to her ear and his breath tickled her skin.

"But maybe he is really hot and sexy and poor little me can't resist because…oh", she moaned mid speech when he let her towel fall to the floor and his hand was immediately between her legs, while he sucked at her neck.

"He won't touch you. And you won't touch him", he insisted and kissed his way down to her right shoulder while his other hand still played with her.

"I don't want to touch any other man than you and you are the only man who is allowed to touch me", she whispered, closed her eyes and let her head fall back against his shoulder.

"Good", he nodded, turned her around and kissed her hard while he locked the door behind them. A second later they crashed onto the bed and the clothes she had chosen lay forgotten on the floor.

* * *

"Hello sugga' ready to have some fun?" Patty asked Lorelai when she entered the house.

"Always Patty", Lorelai laughed and took the huge punch bowl from her friend. Her mother, Rory, Lane, Sookie, Babette, Michel and all the others were already sitting in her living-room. The table and the desk were full with plates with different food and Sookie and Babette, who had come over early with the decorations were already a bit tipsy and were giggling, no matter what the rest said.

"Oh Patty, finally. We thought you wouldn't make it. Where were ya?"

"Oh, Taylor refused to sell me the rum for the punch, because he wasn't invited to Luke's party", Patty explained and sat down in the only empty armchair.

"Maybe you should have invited him, I mean Michel is here as well", Sookie giggled and pointed to the French man amongst them.

"And I can't say that I enjoy it", he snorted with his heavy French accent.

"Oh come on Michel. Drink a bit more punch and you'll see that you will have fun. And by the way: You wanted to come. You weren't even invited", Lorelai laughed and handed him some of the punch Patty had brought and which would definitely be stronger than the one she had made.

"So what is Luke doing tonight?" Emily asked.

"He went to dinner with his cousins, his nephew, some old friends and the boyfriend of his sister", Lorelai said and started to laugh.

"And where is Luke's sister? Shouldn't she be here?" Emily wanted to know and looked confused when Lorelai, Sookie and Babette erupted in laughter.

"She is in the hospital", Rory giggled.

"What happened?" Patty wanted to know because she smelled gossip.

"Well Luke called earlier and told me that TJ, his sister's boyfriend decided to leap frog over a parking meter in front of the restaurant they were going to", Lorelai giggled.

"And he didn't make it", Sookie blurted out and they laughed again.

"Poor Luke had to get him to the hospital and then called. Liz who had just arrived immediately drove over to the hospital to check on her man and so that Luke could go and get something to eat with the rest of the gang", Lorelai finished the story and now even Emily wore a small smile.

"Was he drunk?" Patty asked.

"No, obviously he said something about his airpants not being stretchy enough, and don't even ask what he meant by that", Lorelai completed her report. "So, now tell me! What have you planned?" Lorelai grinned and turned towards her friends. That moment the doorbell rang and Lorelai started to grin. "I knew it", she said and hurried off to find a male post man in front of her door.

"Delivery for Miss Lorelai Gilmore", he said and the ladies started to cheer when Sookie started the music and the man started to strip.

* * *

Another hour later the party was full swing and everybody was chatting and drinking.

"So, is there no dancing here? I was hoping there'd be dancing", Michel said, stood up and started to dance to the music which was blasting.

"You need to strut Tony Minero?" Sookie asked him.

"It is a weekend and on the weekend I like to move, and the ladies, they like it too", he replied.

"Especially when you move out of town. Ba zing!" Lorelai slurred.

"Has she eaten?" Emily turned to Sookie.

"Yeah. About a pot of coffee", Sookie replied. "Okay ladies… and Michel", Sookie started an announcement and turned down the music. "I think we should let the games begin, before our lovely bride here will be too drunk to play any of the games", she said.

"Yay, games", Lorelai clapped her hands happily.

"And that is where we leave", Rory said with a look to Lane. She had said she didn't want to witness any of the dirty stuff and she stayed true to her word. Together with Lane she left the house under the constant complaints of her mother.

"So now that the kids are out of the house, what are we gonna play?" Lorelai asked curiously.

"Well, everyone here has a present for you", Sookie started.

"Yay presents!" Lorelai cheered.

"But to get it you have to answer a very personal question truthfully which the present giver asks you", the cook finished and Lorelai huffed.

"That's so easy", Lorelai laughed and leaned back on the couch. "Who starts?" she asked and looked around- and came face to face with Emily and Michel.

"Oh my god! You want me to answer dirty question in front of my mother and a French putz who is my co- worker?" she asked shocked and Sookie laughed discreetly.

"Believe me Lorelai, that I don't really want to know that about you, but it seems that we have no choice. We will just forget about that evening and everything that was said by tomorrow", Emily suggested.

"Deal", Lorelai nodded and tried to give her mother a high- five in her caffeine-high, but Emily just looked strangely at the raised arm and didn't know what to do with it, which made her daughter pout.

"Ok, I'll start", Patty said and pulled a wrapped box out of her bag.

"I already love that game", Lorelai sighed dreamily when she saw the gift.

"I want to know: How big is Luke's… little Luke?" Patty asked with a naughty grin and Emily flinched slightly.

"Patty, I can't answer that. He isn't here and that question isn't about me", Lorelai protested and giggled.

"Then I am sorry honey, I can't give you the present", Patty sighed.

"No, I want my present", Lorelai pouted and looked up at her friend, who started to grin again.

"I haven't measured it Patty", Lorelai rolled her eyes when she saw the grin.

"Bigger than the others you have had?" Patty asked.

"Yup, definitely", Lorelai nodded and smiled cockily.

"I knew it! The way he fills out those jeans!" Patty gushed and handed Lorelai the gift. Immediately Lorelai tore the paper from the box and then opened it.

"Oh my god", Lorelai exclaimed when she looked inside and closed the lid again. "Patty!" she said and stared at the woman.

"Well, one never knows. I thought in case he has socks in the front of his jeans and you need a little something", Patty laughed and the rest started to laugh as well. Except Emily and Michel of course.

"Ok my turn", Gipsy decided. "Swallow or argue?" she asked and raised her eyebrows. "And I am not talking about an argument here", she clarified.

"Swallow", Lorelai grinned. "Although Luke would never argue with me about that", she added and held out her hand for the present. Gypsy handed her an envelope and when she opened it, Lorelai saw that it was a bonus card for a repair of her car. "How inventive", Lorelai smiled and lay it on top of Patty's present.

"What's the craziest place you two have done it?" Sookie asked her best friend.

"I think that would be the garage", Lorelai giggled when she remembered it.

"The garage? How? Why?" she asked.

"One question Sook' and now hand over that present", Lorelai grinned and Lorelai handed her a huge basket. At first Lorelai thought it was a normal food basket, but when she took a closer look she saw that it really wasn't. It had penis shaped pasta, eatable body paint and strawberry flavoured massage oil.

"Oh, that's so great", Lorelai laughed when she saw all those things. She hugged Sookie briefly and then turned to Michel, who was next.

"When was the last time you had sex?" he asked and grinned, like he it was a given fact that she hadn't had sex in months.

"Today. Right before Sookie came over", Lorelai laughed.

"That's why Luke answered the door and you took so long in the bathroom", Sookie exclaimed and giggled as well. Babette who was already bouncing impatiently in her seat was also grinning, because now was her time to ask her question.

"How many times in one night… did he make you wanna scream… hoopla?", Babette asked excitedly.

"Hoopla?" Lorelai laughed.

"Come on sugga' tell us!" Babette urged.

Lorelai just grinned and held up one hand. Then slowly raised the other hand and held up two fingers. She bit her lower lip when the others gasped.

"He made you come seven times?! That man is a god!" Babette exclaimed and again Emily flinched. "Morey only made it to four so far", she added and suddenly everyone was talking about their "hoopla"- numbers. They were so caught up in their talk that they didn't realize at first that Lorelai had suddenly vanished.

"Ok, my turn", Emily said after a while to end the babbling and when she turned to look at Lorelai she realized that her daughter was gone.

"Where is she?" she asked confused.

"I think she went upstairs", Sookie shrugged.

Another ten minutes passed and Lorelai still didn't come back. Most of her guests were to drunk to actually realize how much time had passed, but Emily wasn't. She waited another five minutes then went upstairs to look for her daughter.

"Lorelai?" she called, but got no answer. "Lorelai?" she asked again and then saw the light under the door in the bathroom. Just when she had reached the door she heard her daughter.

"Damn phone", she heard Lorelai say before something crashed against the door. She also heard that Lorelai was obviously crying. Emily tried the door-knob and was relieved when it was open. Lorelai was sitting on the floor in front of the bathtub when Emily entered. Her makeup ran over her cheeks and she was sobbing hysterically.

"Lorelai, what's wrong? What happened?" Emily asked her worriedly.

"Mom! What are you doing here?" Lorelai asked and stood up. She wanted to rush out of the room, but her mother held her back.

"Do you want to run? Is that it? You won't marry the father of your child again?" Emily asked and closed the door behind her.

"What?" Lorelai asked confused and tried to stop her tears.

"Are you cancelling the wedding?"

"I am not cancelling the wedding mom!" Lorelai insisted and Emily looked at her a long time without saying something. Lorelai felt like her mother could look inside of her and was glad when her mother's eyes left her face. Emily looked around, not really knowing for what she was looking until she found it. On the floor in the edge of the room, beside the bin for the clothes, lay a single pair of panties. The white lace was stained with blood.

"oh my god", Emily whispered and her eyes widened in shock. "Did you….the baby!" she said and suddenly looked as white as a sheet. Lorelai was looking confused at her for a moment, before she understood what her mother was talking about. "Lorelai we have to get you to the hospital, maybe it's not too late. Sometimes women have bleedings although they are pregnant", Emily started and turned around to leave the room.

"Mom no. The hospital isn't necessary", Lorelai shook her head sadly and felt the tears come again. When Emily saw that she lay a hand on her daughter's arm.

"Oh Lorelai. I am so sorry", she said and the pain in her voice and the worry was cleary audible. Lorelai couldn't stand it anymore.

"Mom, I did not lose the baby. I was never pregnant", she admitted and started to sob again.

"What?" Emily asked and took the hand from Lorelai's arm.

"I was never pregnant, mom. I did not lose the baby because I was never pregnant. But I so desperately wanted to be", she sobbed.

"But you…" Emily pressed out.

"I was so desperate. I didn't know what to do anymore. I missed Luke and I couldn't live without him anymore. All I wanted was to marry him and be his wife. But how could I risk Rory's future for that? Luke would never allow that Rory's education was put at risk and you just wouldn't see what a great man he is. That day I felt so upset. I just didn't care anymore because I had spent the nights crying in my bed. I couldn't sleep and I couldn't eat anymore. And then I saw that Rory missed him as well. Luke is like a father to her and she missed him. So I drove over to you and wanted to talk some sense into you and there he was… I just snapped. Before I thought about it I blurted out that I was pregnant, although I knew I wasn't. Luke was as shocked as you and he was furious when he found out that I had lied. But that way we could be together. We could get married and Rory could go to Chilton. We would have a few weeks to try and get pregnant. But it didn't work. I am not pregnant.. again. And now you can go down and tell everyone that you cancel the wedding. I am really sorry mom, but I didn't know what to do. I just love him so", Lorelai said between sobs and hiccups. She was quiet then, waited for her mother to yell at her. She knew the explosion would come and she knew that she had ruined everything for good this time. Emily was also quiet for a while and her face was unreadable.

"I want to ask my question", Emily said then and Lorelai looked up surprised,

"What?"

"I still have to ask my question. The game is not yet finished", Emily clarified.

"Okay", Lorelai nodded, not knowing what her mother was playing this time.

"How long have you loved Luke?" Emily asked and surprised her daughter again with that question.

"For a long time", Lorelai replied truthfully and waited for her mother's reaction.

"Hm", Emily said, then fell silent again for a moment. " I did not see it", she said then.

"Mom, I am sorry, but I have no idea what you are talking about", Lorelai said and started to get angry. Her mother should finally react and tell her what a bad person she was and cancel the wedding. It had to come and she wanted this torture to be over rather sooner than later.

"I did not see it that you love him. I thought you just wanted to love him, but I was wrong. You do love him", Emily said quietly.

" I really do love him", Lorelai nodded.

"I can see that now. I saw it when you looked for your dress and I saw it at the party. Abby would be so proud because you two get married", she said.

"So that means…" Lorelai stared at her mother and felt something like hope coming up.

"That means you should wash your face and not let your guests wait any longer. It's rude", Emily lectured her in soft tone and then the cellphone on the floor rang.

"That will be Luke. I tried to call him", Lorelai said and picked up the phone.

"I'll be downstairs", Emily nodded and opened the door.

"Thank you mom", Lorelai said before she answered the phone and Emily just nodded and took a deep breath before she went down the stairs.

* * *

When Luke heard what had happened he decided to end his own party and came over to Lorelai's house immediately. When she saw him her feelings overwhelmed her again and Lorelai started to weep for the second time that day. Luke held her and reassured her in their bedroom. He had to admit though, that it was all a bit too much. They would get married in three days, she was not pregnant and her mother approved of their relationship. He wasn't sure if he should be sad because she was not pregnant or if he should be happy because they could still get married.

He was relieved when Lorelai finally calmed down and together they went downstairs where surprisingly everyone had left. Everyone except for Emily.

"They were drunk so I made sure they went home before they would throw up in your living-room. Michel is asleep in my car and I still have to drive him home, so I will leave as well now", Emily told them and slipped in her coat and took her purse.

"Thank you", Luke said and it was clear that he was not only talking about the driving home Michel part.

"Good night"; Emily just said and walked out the front-door.

"Mom, wait", Lorelai said suddenly and hurried after her mother out on the porch.

"What?" Emily asked and turned around in front of her car.

"You still owe me a present", Lorelai started to smile. It was still a bit unsure, but it was there.

"Go inside Lorelai. A running nose won't look good at the altar", Emily lectured her daughter, then got into her car and drove away.

"She is right. Let's go inside", Luke said, wrapped her arms around her and led her inside. They both hadn't really understood yet what had happened.

TBC and please** review!**


	35. Last masterplan

**Chapter 35: Last masterplan**

Lorelai couldn't remember the last time she had been up so early out of her free will. Surely that must have been right after Rory's birth, when she had stayed up after the four o'clock feeding and had just stared at her sleeping daughter. This time she wasn't spending her time with staring at her newborn baby, because there was none, but she was staring at herself in the mirror, checking if her wedding dress still looked as good as the day she had first tried it on. It was only five o' clock in the morning, but she had been unable to sleep any longer. She had felt exhilarated when she had woken up and had literally jumped out of bed. Her first way had been to the bathroom, to freshen up and then she had changed into her wedding gown without a shower and without brushing her teeth before. She turned and twirled around in front of the mirror, her still a mess from sleeping, bet she didn't care. She fantasized how Luke would look at her when he would see her in her wedding dress and she imagined how he would look like. She had seen the tux already, she had even helped him pick it out, but she hadn't seen him wearing it yet. The thought of Luke in a tux. Clean shaven and standing in front of the altar made her heart beat faster. She didn't see the sappy smile on her face when she looked into the mirror, she didn't really see herself at all, because all she was seeing was the picture in her head about Luke and her seeing each other for the first time in front of the altar.

„Mom?" Rory's voice brought her back to reality and she hadn't even heard the door opening. „What are you doing?" her daughter asked when she saw her mother in front of the mirror, wearing her wedding dress.

„I'm getting married today", Lorelai beamed at her and twirled one last time. „And what are you doing here?" she asked her daughter with a sigh. She hoped that Rory wasn't having second thoughts, because it was strange that she was up that early.

„I wanted to wake you, so you wouldn't sleep in on your wedding day", Rory said.

„Wake me? At ..." she turned towards the alarm clock and then gasped. It was already half past seven. She had spend two and a half hours in front of the mirror, completely zoomed out. She sighed when she saw the time, then turned back towards her daughter. „Let's get ready", she grinned and hurried into the bathroom to get changed again. She would have breakfast, then she would shower, then the hairdresser should be over together with the make-up artist her mother had hired. And then, only then, she would get to wear her dress again. So she changed back into her sweats and T- shirt and then ran down the stairs. The sooner she would have eaten, the sooner the rest would start and the sooner she would wear her dress again and become Luke's wife. Mrs. Danes. She really couldn't wait.

* * *

Luke had strangely enough slept like a baby the night before the wedding. He had awoken slowly when the alarm clock had rung and then sighed in contentment. He missed Lorelai next to him and it had been hard for him to fall asleep without her in his arms, but once he had been asleep he had had wonderful dreams all night. He had seen their marriage, Lorelai in her dress, and their wedding night. Yes, dirty. He had sat up in bed and then taken first a cold shower, followed by a normal one. 

Richard came over at eight and took him to his hairdresser to get him a shave and a new haircut. Together they had breakfast and then they picked up Buddy and Maizy, before Luke returned to his apartment to change into his tux. While he buttoned up the shirt he had to think of the sadness in Lorelai's eyes when her period had started the night of her bachelorette party. First she had wallowed that she was not pregnant, then she had wallowed that their wedding night would be ruined because of it. She had confused him with her comment, that if she was still on the pill she would have been able to control it, but he hadn't asked further and just reassured her that they would find a way to spend their wedding night in a pleasurable way. That had cheered her up a bit and she had started making plans what exactly they could and couldn't do. At one point Luke had pointed out that just because she had.. her days, didn't mean that they couldn't do.. it. They had discussed it until Luke thought his face would explode because of embarrassment and had decided that they would just see what they were comfortable with.

Afterwards they had faced Emily and had said goodbye and Luke hoped that his face had returned to it's usual color again and he didn't look like a lobster anymore.

When he was dressed he took the box with rings out of the dresser and opened it. They were simple white gold wedding bands and Lorelai's smaller one had a small diamond, while his was plain.

They both had inscriptions which the other one had chosen and Luke knew he wasn't allowed to look at his until they were married and so he closed the lid of the box again to not tempt himself further.

* * *

„How do I look?" Lorelai asked her mother and Rory when she emerged from the bathroom for the second time that day dressed in her wedding gown. Her hair was pulled up and some lose strands framed her face. The tiara matched perfectly with her hair-do. 

„You look absolutely lovely, Lorelai", Emily said clearly stunned while she looked at her daughter. Out of a sudden impulse she walked over to her and kissed her daughters cheek.

„Thank you mom", Lorelai smiled and placed a kiss on her mother's cheek in return.

„You have everything?" Emily asked her.

„I've got tissues, a needle, deo spray, lipstick, glue... and Luke has the rings", she listed.

„Glue ?" Emily asked, wondering why on earth her daughter had added glue to that small purse of hers.

„Sure. If I stumble or get stuck and my heel falls off and then Luke will be able to save me by gluing my heel back into place. Or if we decide we never want to be parted we can glue our hands together. I mean it would mean some trouble when we both have to go to work, but what are some small troubles when you're in love?" Lorelai asked and sighed exaggeratedly.

„Why did I ask?" Emily said and rolled her eyes. „And I was not speaking of your whole household, I was more thinking of something new?" she clarified.

„The dress is new mom... and so are my stockings", Lorelai grinned. She loved it to embarrass her mother.

„Please spare me the details, I am still not over the infos I heard at your party", Emily said and shuddered.

„Hey, we agreed that you would forget you ever heard that!" Lorelai exclaimed.

„Believe me, I wish I could", Emily sighed. „ Rory should have taken her grandmother with her. I have the feeling she knew what was coming".

„Not the first bachelorette party in the Hollow", Lorelai grinned.

„You really shouldn't expose her to these things. Especially not now that she has her first boyfriend", Emily lectured Lorelai.

„Mom, could we please not get into this discussion now. Weren't you just asking something? We covered something new", Lorelai groaned.

„Something blue?"

„Yup", Lorelai nodded.

„What?" Emily asked.

„You don't want to know", Lorelai grinned.

„Okay, something borrowed?" Emily went on.

„ Your tiara mom", Lorelai pointed to her head.

„That isn't the something borrowed, that is the something old", Emily replied.

„But.. how... why... you can't... that is too much, mom", Lorelai stuttered.

„I give it to you and you give it to Rory once she gets married. I just thought we could start a tradition", Emily shrugged.

„Thank you", Lorelai said deeply moved and hugged her mother again. „But now I don't have anything borrowed", she said.

„Allow me", Emily smiled and handed Lorelai a chain with a beautiful locket. „Best friend", the inscription said. „I know it's not a heart and it doesn't say „True love" or something, but it was the friendship locket both me and Abby had. And I want it back after the wedding", Emily told Lorelai.

„Sure you will. And it fits, because I am marrying my best friend", Lorelai said and held it out to Emily, so she could secure it around her daughters neck.

„Wow, mom, look at you", Rory exclaimed when she suddenly burst through the door with Lane on her heels.

„I can get married like that?" Lorelai asked and turned around slowly one time.

„Yes! And your hair looks better than this morning", Rory laughed and hugged her mother before they all left the house together to get to the church. It was time to get married.

* * *

„You're ready?" Richard asked his daughter when they were standing in front of the church door. The music would start any second now. Rory and Lane were dressed up as bridesmaids and were waiting with them. 

„Yes, I really am", Lorelai nodded and listened anxiously, because she wanted the music to start.

„Lorelai, let me jut tell you what I already told Luke this morning: I am sorry that I didn't step up and stop your mother from meddling with your lives. At first I thought her plan was good, it seemed ok. Friends getting married isn't a bad thing you know. But when she broke you up I should have said something. I am sorry I didn't", he admitted.

„We should just leave that behind us dad. We all made mistakes, some graver than others, but we all did. Maybe we should talk it out some day, but not today. Today I just want to be happy and celebrate with my family and friends", she said and Richard nodded.

„Luke is a good man", he said then when the music started.

„The best", Lorelai nodded when Rory and Lane pushed the door open and they all stepped into the church. Lorelai grasped her father's hand tightly and the music and the gasps of awe of the people in the church became one blurry mess when she saw Luke standing in front of the altar, waiting for her. She had imagined that moment so many times, but nothing had come close to reality. It had been the same with Rory. All throughout her pregnancy she had imagined what it would be like when she would hold her baby for the first time, but when the moment had arrived she had been so overwhelmed by joy and love in a way she could have never imagined it.

„Slowly", Richard whispered to her when she sped up and wanted to hurry to Luke. Richard held her back, made sure they walked down in sync with the music. After what seemed like an eternity for Lorelai they arrived at the altar and she stared at Luke with wide eyes and he stared back. She saw some tears in his eyes and didn't realize that she was already crying and tears were running down her cheek. Richard handed his daughter over her groom and immediately their fingers linked.

„Dearly beloved. We are gathered here..." the reverend started but neither Luke nor Lorelai were paying attention to what he was saying because they were too focused on each other. At one point Luke reached over with his free hand and wiped away her tears. Lorelai smiled at him, raised their joined hands and pressed her lips to the back of his hand. When Buddy, who was Luke's best man cleared his throat they snapped out of their daze and realized that now it was their turn.

Reverend Skinner stared at Luke and although Luke had no idea what he had just said he replied „I do", and was relieved when the reverend nodded and turned to Lorelai to ask her the same question.

„I do", she replied as well and then Sookie, Lorelai's maid of honor handed the reverend the rings. With shaky hands they slipped the rings onto each others finger and couldn't let go of their hands anymore.

„... and now I pronounce you husband and wife. May god bless you", reverend skinner finished. „You may kiss the bride", he told Luke and smiled.

Luke smiled at Lorelai, who smiled back and was crying again.

„I love you", he told her and pulled her close.

„I love you, too", she replied and closed the gap between them and kissed him until Luke pulled back after a second.

„Hey, he said I could kiss the bride and not you could kiss me", he grinned and then kissed her soundly before she could reply. Lorelai slung her arms around his neck and her fingers stroked along his newly cut hair.

„My husband", she smiled at him when they pulled apart after a while and he just pulled her to him again and hugged her tightly.

„Mr. And Mrs. Luke Danes", Richard announced when they stepped out of the church and the chuppah was standing in front of the exit. Under the cheers of their friends and family they kissed again.

At first they had wanted to get married outside, but Emily had reason with them, that it was too cold to do that and either they or their guest would get sick. So they had given in and had decided that the chuppah should wait outside for them. Their friends rushed towards them and hugged and kissed them until Luke ended it when Patty had hugged him for the third time and pinched his butt in the process.

„You should have stopped this!" he said accusingly to Lorelai who just laughed.

„You want a jealous wife?" she teased him.

„Yes, when it comes to Patty I do", he nodded.

„Poor baby", she smiled, stroked his cheek and then kissed him again ,what caused the audience to erupt in cheers. The town's favorite couple had finally tied the knot.

* * *

**The end**

**Nearly...**

**Epilogue: 2 years later:**

„Luke! Could you hurry up please!" Lorelai yelled and then just burst into the bathroom impatiently, where Luke was just standing in front of the mirror and shaved. He had a towel around his hips and his hair was still slick from the shower.

„Jeez!", he jumped and cut himself. „Lorelai!", he said annoyed and took some tissues from the shelf and pressed them on the cut.

„I'm sorry, but I have to pee", she said, took the razor out of his hand and then handed him their one year old daughter, who was crying her eyes out. Then she hurried to the toilet.

„What's wrong with you?" Luke asked Abby and bounced her up and down to calm her.

„Her mean mother had to take her away from her toys because she has to pee because her brother is playing soccer with my bladder", Lorelai explained.

„Aw, poor princess", Luke said, kissed his daughters cheek and stroked over her brown curls.

„Daddy", Abby yammered and buried her face in his shoulder.

„Are you tired? I think it's time for your nap", he cooed and stroked her back soothingly what caused the toddler to yawn.

„I wish I had a camera now. This is such a Kodak-moment", Lorelai said.

„Yes how romantic. I am soothing my crying daughter who needs a fresh diaper while I am only wearing a towel and you're peeing. I totally see the opportunity", he deadpanned.

„Well, I guess that's reality for ya. In the films pregnant women always look stunning, babies always do smell great and husbands look sexy in their towels after the shower and don't have tissues glued to their cheek", Lorelai laughed.

„Yeah, life is hard", Luke sighed and then winked at Lorelai. „ I think I'll go and changed her before she falls asleep", he said then and walked out of the bedroom. He placed his daughter on the bed and put on some shorts and a t-shirt before he picked the crying toddler up again and walked with her into her room to change her diaper. When he was done it only took him a few minutes to rock her back to sleep and he went back into the bathroom, where he found Lorelai still, this time stripped naked.

„I hope you don't want a quickie in the shower in your condition", he teased her.

„Yeah sure, because that would work this way", she said and pointed to her pregnant stomach.

„What are you doing?" he asked her, took the tissue from his cheek and shaved the last of his stubble away.

„My skin needs some more of that oil. I can literally feel it stretch over my stomach and my breasts", she said and grabbed the bottle from the shelf. „Why do we women have to look like whales when we are pregnant?" she complained and started to apply the oil to her stomach.

„You do not. Call me a pervert, but I like you pregnant", Luke grinned and put his arms around her from behind and started rubbing the oil into her skin.

„This is number two in two and believe me when I say that there won't be three in three", Lorelai snorted, but leaned back against him.

„No, that would be too much. Your body will need some rest after a pregnancy so quick after the other", he nodded.

„So you want a third kid, although númber two hasn't popped yet?" she asked him and looked at him.

„We'll see. Let's take one step after the other. I am grateful for what I have", he told her and kissed her.

* * *

„Happy anniversary", Emily and Richard said when they entered the house an hour later. It was Friday and dinner time. But because of their second wedding anniversary, Lorelai being eighth months pregnant and Abby had just learned to walk they had decided to have dinner at Luke and Lorelai's house. They had moved into the house her parents had bought her when they had found out that she was pregnant and they didn't regret it. It was bigger than the crap shack and every kid could have it's own room. 

„Thank you", Luke said and led his parents in law into the living room.

„Hey, grandma, grandpa", Rory greeted and walked over to them, Abby toddling beside her while she held her sisters hand. After her short nap she was in a much better mood and smiled when she saw her grandparents. Richard picked the girl up and laughed when she attacked his tie immediately and tried to rib it off.

„Hello, welcome to the house of chaos", Lorelai greeted her parents when she waddled into the room and Luke helped her to sit down on the couch.

„Goodness Lorelai. You certainly got bigger since we saw you last time on Christmas", Emily exclaimed.

„I know, I know. This kid is a freaking elephant and moving around like he is dancing in there, of course never missing the fun of kicking mommy's bladder", she complained and Luke patted her thigh soothingly. „Don't give me that sympathetic look, mister. This is your fault", she told Luke accusingly and pointed to her stomach.

„ I know", he grinned and gave her a quick peck on the lips before he rested on hand on her belly and tried to calm his kicking son with his touch.

„Mommy,daddy", Abby screeched when she saw her parents and felt left out. Richard handed her to Luke and he and Lorelai cuddled their daughter in between them and she rested her head against Lorelai's stomach and held onto her father's hand.

„You decided on a name now?" Emily wanted to know and sat down in the armchair.

„Yup", Lorelai nodded while she played with her daughters fuzzy curls.

„Oh Lorelai, then tell us already", Emily said unnerved.

„Nope, you'll have to wait until he is born", Lorelai grinned.

„I guess I will have to accept that", Emily muttered. „But I have thought about when you go into labor and the first week and I came up with a plan. I thought that..." Emily started and Lorelai held up a hand to silence her.

„No more master plans from you mother. One was enough for the next ten years", she grinned and then kissed Luke tenderly, „ we all see how that last one turned out", she finished her sentence and pointed first at Abby and then patted her pregnant belly, where William seemed to be finally asleep.

**The end.. for real this time**

**Thank you so much for your reviews and your encouragement for this story. I hope you liked it. **


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